cabbage patch
by paws-bells
Summary: ItaSaku Non-Massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** cabbage patch

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/General/Humor

**Word Count:** 7029

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #23, cabbage patch

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Non-massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.

**Created on:** 13/02/09

**Completed on:** 21/02/09

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 06/06/09

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

Four year old Haruno Sakura was having the time of her young life.

She was currently happily mucking around a quiet section of what appeared to be a large, leafy forest area, but the young girl was hardly afraid of being all alone. No, how could she possibly be alone when her future pet-to-be was right here with her?

To be more accurate, the tiny thing was busy scampering ahead of her, though, almost as if trying its best to escape the pink-haired child, but of course that couldn't be so! Sakura was going to be the best pet owner in the whole world, and she had happily told her soon-to-be pet that too, though in order for her to do so, she would first have to procure herself an adorable, fuzzy little critter to call her own. And she had set her sights upon the most adorable little fuzzy with the most beautiful, sleek fur and cute pointed face, quivering whiskers and all!

It had been love at first glance for the young girl when she had first seen that pair of twitching ears, the shiny, black button eyes, and that tiny black nose. It had only been a quick glimpse that she had caught of the shy creature before it had turned tail (and what a cute, fluffy tail it was!) and fled from the edge of the marketplace, and, mesmerized and excited, the child had followed her new pet unthinkingly, flinging herself headlong into the dense woods that her village was literally surrounded in.

Coincidentally, she had also left behind her harried mother in her hurry to retrieve her new animal friend, who had been rather occupied juggling a few bags of groceries and hadn't immediately noticed that her young daughter was no longer following behind her.

But that was no matter, as Sakura really wasn't afraid of or even intimidated by the towering trees and thick foliage as she ventured deeper and deeper into the forest; her attention was fully on the quick silhouette of the fleeing animal, her small legs pumping with the tireless energy of a young, determined child as she ran after the startled creature. There was a time or two when she had almost lost sight of the fleet-footed creature, but luckily enough, it would reappear before the child could get too worried, and due to the fact that it was also a baby just like her, she was catching up easily to it.

Little Sakura had no idea of the time that had passed as she scampered from bush to bush in an attempt to catch her pretty pet, and she didn't particularly care either, focusing her entire concentration on getting her hands on the fuzzy little critter, cooing happily to the wary little thing and chattering nonsense to it in a way only children do.

It took a few missed attempts as well as a bit of trial and error on the smart little girl's part before she managed to trick the animal up a small sapling and, quite suddenly, lunge for it. Not expecting such a bold move, the little creature was quickly grasped and plucked off the thin branches, squeaking and wriggling in panic even as its pink-haired captor tried to soothe it with reassuring murmurs and gentle strokes over its luxuriant fur. The frightened animal was about to rear around to deliver a sharp, vicious bite to the being that had caught it when Sakura, in her earnest desire to calm her new pet down, accidentally pushed out a trickle of harmless chakra into the small critter. The young animal went docile immediately, quivering torso going slack and relaxed in the delighted young girl's arms as comfortable, peaceful sensations washed through it, a clear cut reassurance of safety that quickly put the animal at ease.

Pleased that her new pet was finally behaving itself, the pink-haired child carefully tucked the quieted baby animal snugly within her coat, and proceeded to spend some time lovingly arranging her pet until she was absolutely sure that it was comfortable before returning her attention to heading for home.

Only to realize that she now had no idea, whatsoever, where she was.

The entire patch of forest that surrounded her looked similar no matter where she turned, and she couldn't quite remember just where she had come from. To her credit, the young child did not panic immediately. Slowly stroking the furry head of her whiskered friend, Sakura wandered bravely around the darkening forest until she felt utterly exhausted. It had tired her greatly to chase after her pet for the entire afternoon, and it quickly showed in the way her footsteps slowed and as more yawns graced her small, elfin face.

A trickle of worry began to inundate the little girl as the sun started to sink into the horizon and shadows stretched eerily all around her, and, shivering slightly, the young child eventually remembered what her Mother had always told her to do if she had gotten lost—stay put and wait for somebody to come and get her.

Deciding to be a good little girl and heed kaa-san's repeated orders now that she had found her pet, little Sakura wandered over to a huge tree and proceeded to hunker down against the thick trunk, drowsily cuddling her fuzzy little friend to her the entire while, whispering assurances of how everything would be alright and how Mama would absolutely love it just like she loved Sakura-chan.

But now, they had to wait to be discovered, and as night descended quickly, clutching her trembling new pet weasel to herself, Sakura wished that whoever was looking for her would get here faster.

* * *

"Please, Hokage-sama, you must send someone to find my daughter!" A distraught Haruno Miharu cried out in her panic as she burst into the top of the Hokage's Tower, clearly near tears. "My baby girl is still too young to be wandering about all alone, and it's almost night time already! I have searched and can't find her anywhere, and dear god, she's only four; what if someone took her?!"

The young mother looked as if she was about to go into hysterics at the thought of her only child being kidnapped by the many foreign nin that entered and left the village daily, and it took awhile before the Third could calm her down.

"I'm sure Sakura-chan will be alright, Haruno-san. But first, I need you to calm down, and tell me exactly what happened so that I can decide on a proper course of action. Take a seat, Haruno-san, take a moment to collect your thoughts and then tell me your side of the story."

Haruno-san nodded, and after taking a deep breath to settle her jittery nerves, she started to explain the series of events that had led to her daughter's disappearance. The Sandaime listened thoughtfully, puffing on his pipe the entire while as he considered Miharu-san's worried account.

"It was my fault," the pretty blonde woman berated herself harshly, face drawn tightly in distress. "I was too busy with the groceries, and didn't pay attention to see if Sakura-chan was still following behind me. I didn't even know just when she disappeared behind me; she was always such an obedient little girl so I don't know what happened—you must help me, Hokage-sama, I don't know what I would do if I really lost Sakura-chan!!"

Haruno Miharu really did burst into tears then, and helplessly, the grandfatherly Sandaime patted the distraught mother awkwardly on the back.

"Haruno-san, how about this," the Third suggested at last, "You return home to rest first, and in the meantime, I will arrange for a Genin team to look for your daughter. I'm pretty sure that little Sakura-chan has merely gotten lost whilst playing; we will find her soon and before the night is through, your daughter will be back at home and getting ready for bed."

The kindly old man was exceptionally reassuring, his sedate calmness in the situation serving to settle Haruno-san's nervousness as well, and at last, the young mother agreed to go with the Hokage's plans. The Sandaime quickly called in an available team of Genin suitable for the task, and within minutes, Team Five reported in for duty.

The three Genin who entered the Hokage's Tower were young, two of whom were barely in their teens, whereas the last one didn't even look like he was past the age of ten. Despite her distress, Miharu's slightly hesitant expression was evident as she watched the three children approach the Hokage's large desk. Then, she caught the Third's comforting expression, and she decided to trust her wise leader fully.

"Hokage-sama." The trio greeted the Third respectfully, bowing to their leader first before standing by for orders.

"Team Five, I have a Class C assignment for you this evening," the Sandaime announced with little preamble. "It's a search and rescue mission; four year old Haruno Sakura has somehow gotten separated from her mother during a shopping expedition, and as you can see, Haruno-san is very worried about her young daughter. Your mission is to find Haruno Sakura and bring her back here as soon as possible."

The Sandaime proceeded to provide further details to the Genin team, and when he was through, he asked, "Do any of you have any more enquiries about this mission?"

The two older Genin shook their heads, but the youngest of the trio, an Uchiha, _the_ Uchiha genius _and_ future clan heir, merely kept silent. The Third turned his attention to nine year old Itachi, currently the youngest Genin of Konoha, for _three_ years running.

"Do you have any questions, Itachi-kun?"

The raven-haired boy regarded his Hokage with quiet solemnity. "Hokage-sama," he requested at last in a precise, yet polite tenor. "I would like to be allowed to speak to Haruno-san in order to understand more of the situation, as well as to learn her exact route of travel prior to and after Haruno Sakura's disappearance," he explained, giving his reasoning for his request. "The search will proceed faster if we can establish a grid search pattern based on the travel route, and we will be less likely to overlook or spend additional time scouring the wrong places."

The Sandaime nodded in agreement with Itachi's sound deduction, and if Miharu-san still doubted the young Genin's ability, she no longer showed it. The dainty blonde hurried over to the stoic boy, and proceeded to answer each and every question that he asked to the best of her abilities. When Itachi was done, he thanked the anxious woman stoically, but she only shook her head and placed her hands beseechingly on the stiffening boy's own.

"Please, I am depending on you and your team to bring back my daughter safely," she requested urgently. "Please do your best and find her quickly. It's already dusk—just the thought that my baby is all alone out there, crying and afraid-"

The woman broke off abruptly, and started to look more than a little teary herself, much to the boy's inward alarm. Luckily enough, the Third came and swiftly relieved the uncomfortable Genin of the burden of reassuring the distraught woman.

"Go, Itachi-kun," the Sandaime Hokage directed firmly. "You have all the necessary information now, and in light of your sensei's absence today, I hereby appoint you as Mission Leader. You will be in charge of your fellow teammates, as well as the planning of the entire search and rescue operation. Is that clear, Itachi?"

The Uchiha's dark eyes drifted briefly over to the upset, yet expectant expression of the woman before returning his attention to the Hokage. The solemn, raven-haired boy gave his aged, wise leader a small bow.

"I understand, Hokage-sama."

* * *

"Geez, I can't believe that Hokage-sama actually put _him_ in charge." Thirteen year old Musuko Dora, a member of Team Five, complained loudly in disgust as he shuffled out of the Hokage Tower. Beside him, his _normal_ teammate, thirteen year old Kameji Nikurashii, nodded in agreement.

Nikurashii rolled his eyes. "What do you expect? He is the future Uchiha clan head, after all. If you had that kind of wealth and connection, it probably wouldn't be hard for you to be like him."

Dora scoffed derisively, never mind that the person whom they were openly mocking was but only walking a few paces ahead of them.

"Like I would want to be like _him_."

Both boys had only recently graduated from the Academy a few months ago, but due to an uneven number of graduates this year, they had been unfortunate enough to be saddled with a Genin whom they had never worked with before. This new teammate of theirs, whilst having already attained the Genin rank two years before, had never been in a team until now, having always been individually instructed by specialized trainers throughout the course of his Genin career. It was only recently that it was decided that he should be allowed to rejoin a team in preparation for the Chuunin Examinations, and at first, the pair of newly minted Genin had been thrilled by this piece of news, uplifted by the fact that they would have a knowledgeable 'sempai' to look up to and receive help from.

Then they got to meet their new 'sempai' for the very first time, and their perspective quickly changed.

Their new teammate was only nine years old, and quite incidentally, was also the famous Uchiha genius. However, despite the quiet boy's young age and seemingly smaller and un-matured stature, he very swiftly proved to everyone that he was every bit the child prodigy that his clan had touted him to be. Possessing a keen, highly gifted intellect, well honed observation and deduction skills, not to mention an expert arsenal of all three aspects of nin arts, the solemn, dark-haired boy had already far exceeded the abilities of any average Genin, or even Chuunin.

It really was no surprise that his new teammates quickly grew to resent him as he surpassed them repeatedly in terms of abilities and performance. The fact that he was a good four years younger than them did not help matters whatsoever. As far as the older Genin of Team Five were concerned, Uchiha Itachi was a freak of nature.

To his credit, the young heir to the great Uchiha clan did not appear to be particularly affected by his unpopularity amongst his teammates, and didn't even seem to care much when they tried their best to make life difficult for the young boy. No, Itachi was as stoic and as implacable as he had always been, a lesson taught by his highborn clan even before he could walk—to never lose his composure before anyone.

Unfortunately, his teammates only interpreted his refusal to acknowledge their blatant exclusion of him and his natural quiet, reticent nature as sheer arrogance borne from a difference in social standing, and before long, they wanted as little to do with their young, talented teammate as possible, even to the point of reacting with hostility to the younger Genin whenever the dark-haired boy was near.

The fact that not once had Itachi complained or reported his teammates' bullying to a higher authority or even his highborn family only made the two older Genin of Team Five bolder in their harassment of the Uchiha prodigy, and very soon, they were riding roughshod all over the quiet boy, using their age as an excuse to torment the younger, but much more skilled Genin.

And Itachi, well-bred, painstakingly polite, and with a massive dislike for conflict, could only allow his teammates to do as they wished.

"We will begin the search from here."

Once again, it was as if Itachi had not heard the scathing remarks that had been directed at him, or if he had, it simply did not matter to him. The younger Genin turned to regard his older counterparts with the neutral expression that he always wore, and quickly laid out his plans of operation for his teammates.

"Haruno-san has mentioned that her daughter was still with her when she was in the downtown district, and it was only when she was at the market that she noticed her child's disappearance. We will use the market as the epicenter of our search zone, and going by the calculation of probability, the average rate of travel for a four year old, as well as the time that has elapsed since Haruno-san reported her daughter missing, I estimate a search radius of roughly six kilometers."

Dora merely scowled at the annoyingly monotonous manner in which the Uchiha was showing off again, whereas Nikurashii frowned at the bothersome mission. And it was almost dinnertime, too. Damn.

"As we are near the edge of the village, nearly half of the search area is encompassed by the forest and training grounds. I suggest that we split up for the search-"

"Very well," Nikurashii interrupted rudely, a malicious idea quickly forming in his head as he stepped up to his younger teammate. "Dora and I will take the streets. We will ask passersby if they have seen a little lost girl; you don't like to talk much anyway, right? You will be more suited to searching the forest, what with those _special_ Uchiha eyes of yours, yeah? Didn't Sensei mention that you have already mastered your Sharingan?"

Swiftly catching on to what Nikurashii was doing, Dora joined in as well, a subtle light of meanness burning in his small eyes. "Yes, _Itachi_. After all, you are so much more capable than the two of us combined, you know; I don't think you will have any trouble taking on the forest search by yourself, right?"

For a brief moment, the Uchiha _tensai_ said nothing, only regarded his two teammates with an intent, almost piercing regard that quickly convinced the pair that their younger counterpart was acutely aware of their plans. The emotionless, unblinking stare quickly made the hairs at the back of their necks stand up eerily, and just before they were about to snap defensively at the strangely astute raven-haired boy, he blinked and nodded once. Sharply.

"I will take the forests," the slender, young boy, barely four foot five in height, agreed blankly at last. "The time now is seventeen thirty five. We will meet back here again in exactly two and a half hours."

Nikurashii and Dora were already beginning to walk away, their minds already on the type of food that they were going to have during their little 'dinner break.' "Whatever. Just go rot in the forest and don't bother us, you freak."

* * *

It took Itachi one hour to comb the expansive training areas thoroughly; despite being mostly deserted, the young raven-haired boy was painstakingly meticulous in his search, using his hawk-like eyesight and attention to detail to look for any clue that might remotely point to the child whom he was supposed to find. There were none, and the small handful of nin that he had passed by also indicated no sign of any pink-haired little girl around the area.

Very quickly, it occurred to the highly analytical Sharingan-wielder that the child truly was not in the vicinity, which meant that she was either somewhere within Konoha's marketplace district, or within the dense woodlands that were just beyond the training grounds.

The young Genin came to a stop at the edge of the thick forest, and intelligent onyx eyes stared hard into the shadowy, intimidating darkness that stretched into the woods. By now, dusk had come and gone, and the land was blanketed in the velvety darkness of the night. Mentally, Itachi recalculated the probability of a young child entering the forest for no reason whatsoever, and came back with a relatively unfavorable result.

It was definitely more likely that the little girl was somewhere within Konoha's protective walls, though a small, instinctual part of the young Uchiha heir hesitated to follow his sound reasoning and return straight for the village.

From what he was told, this little girl was only four; the exact age that his little brother, Sasuke, was. His otouto was still at the point in his life whereby the cover of night and darkness would scare the little boy into searching for his aniki for some comfort and reassurance, and therefore it wasn't difficult for the quiet Uchiha heir to picture a terrified little girl child lost in the woods.

The young, slender Genin closed his eyes briefly, considering his options. He quickly came to a decision.

Dark eyes reopened, and then slowly bled into crimson.

He was going to have to make this search quick, in order to leave sufficient time to return to the populated areas of Konoha to conduct yet another search should he not be able to locate the girl in the woods. Knowing Musuko and Kameji as well as he did, they were likely to miss some areas that he would not, and therefore, there was really no choice but for him to search their designated area as well.

He should have enough time if he hurried—but barely.

_Fifteen minutes_. If the search yielded no little girl after fifteen minutes, he would return for the village right away.

Soundlessly, the Uchiha _tensai_ slipped into the dense forest, and within seconds, there was not even a trace of his presence left lingering.

* * *

Exactly fifteen minutes later, there was still no sign of any little girl amongst the dimly lit forest, and true to his intentions, Itachi started to turn around, about to make his way back to the village, when he sensed movement at the edge of his peripheral vision.

It was just the slightest glint of something reflected off the stray moon beams that had managed to filter down through the dense foliage to the forest floor, but it was enough to draw the Uchiha's attention to the little girl nestled amongst the mossy undergrowth of a massive oak tree, partially hidden and curled up at its base, slumbering deeply.

As he drew nearer, the child's physical features became clearer to him. The soft pink hair that caught the moonlight and had originally announced the child's presence to him fell around her delicate, elfin face in careless abandon. Her eyelashes were startling long, fanning her rosy cheeks that were still chubby with baby fat, her upturned nose indicating playfulness and mischief, and last but not least, was the small, red mouth that was slightly pursed in sleep. She was also very small still, even smaller in size than Sasuke was right now and that only served to make her look even more innocent and vulnerable than she already was.

Strangely enough, the fair skinned little girl, almost a baby still, was oddly mesmerizing as she lay sprawled on her side, half curled into herself, surrounded by moonbeams and shadows.

If the nine-year old Uchiha heir had possessed a more whimsical sort of a character, he would have likened the younger child to a lost forest fae, ethereal and almost otherworldly.

But Itachi was not the whimsical sort; he was brought up from the cradle to be coldly factual and highly analytical, and what was most important right now was that he had finally found the lost girl. The young, raven-haired boy dropped soundlessly from his perch above the still sleeping child and proceeded to crouch before her. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he started to nudge her awake in the same way he usually did his little brother.

It didn't take long before those long eyelashes began to flutter with passive agitation as the little girl began to rouse from her brief nap, mildly disorientated as large doe-like eyes the purest shade of emeralds blinked open, slowly focusing her sight upon the quiet boy crouched before her.

In the semi darkness of the moonlit night, the Uchiha's features were partially obscured amongst the shadows, but there was no denying the stark crimson gaze that clearly marked him a member of his proud clan.

Unfortunately enough, the little girl was not old enough to recognize the significance of those glowing Sharingan. However, she did recognize the metallic plate that was tied against his forehead, the Leaf insignia that proclaimed him friendly.

"Who are you?" little Sakura murmured thickly, almost confusedly, still not completely awake yet. "Are you lost too?"

Itachi ignored the little one's question. "Is your name Haruno Sakura?" he asked stoically instead, and after a brief moment, the pink-haired child nodded slowly, rubbing her eyes with closed fists and yawning widely. She reopened her eyes and peered at the older boy curiously.

"Who are you?" she repeated her question once more, now clearly more awake then earlier, slowly sitting up from her previously sprawled position as she regarded the silhouette of the boy who had woken her. "Did you come to bring me back to Kaa-san?"

"I was sent by Hokage-sama to retrieve you," the young Uchiha confirmed, and evidently, that was enough for the trusting little girl. However, if Itachi was expecting sheer gratitude from the child, he was in for a bit of surprise.

"What took you so long?" Sakura questioned with bold, unapologetic interest.

For a brief moment, Itachi thought that he had heard wrong. He stared at his temporary charge, but Sakura merely frowned precociously at her rescuer, a cute little wrinkle marring her brow as she waited for her answer.

"…we are returning to the village," the Genin replied evasively at last, straightening back to his full height and taking a step away from the little girl, clearly not sure of what else to say to her. "Your Mother is very worried about you."

Unfortunately for the solemn Uchiha prodigy, little Sakura was no longer paying any attention to him. No, she currently appeared to be rather preoccupied, looking as if to be searching for something within her coat linings, carefully patting her pockets anxiously until she seemed to have felt whatever it was that the little girl was looking for, a delighted and relieved expression on her small face. Then, she stood up carefully, clearly not as afraid of the dark as Sasuke was, and turned to look at Itachi with completely guileless trust.

"How are we going to go back?" she asked innocently, moving towards her rescuer until they were standing side by side, her shoulder brushing against him as she stuck close to him. The young raven-haired Genin stiffened slightly at the child's proximity and instinctively, edged a bare inch to the side. Unfortunately for him, the little girl merely followed after his subtle movement, and within a matter of a few seconds, he was back in the same position that he had originally been in.

Itachi looked upon the clear, expectant gaze of the little one, pristine emerald pools that reflected the innocence of childhood, and quickly realized that although the little girl wasn't openly showing her fear, she was at least feeling apprehensive about her current situation.

The young Genin gave a cursory glance at his surroundings; although the moonlight was adequate enough for travel, it was unlikely that a child would be able to move smoothly through the dense foliage as effective as he could. The Uchiha heir returned his attention to the child beside him, and without a word, the older boy dropped to a crouch once more, though this time, he presented his back to the surprised child.

"I will carry you to the village," Itachi spoke in his usual stoic manner. "You will have to climb onto my back."

When Sakura did not respond immediately, the Uchiha turned slightly to regard the little pink-haired girl. She was staring at him with something akin to hopeful excitement, the dim lighting doing nothing to conceal the hesitant wonder in her eyes.

"Are we going to fly amongst the trees?" she asked, all traces of sleep now no longer in her voice, swiftly replaced by a more lively tone of interest.

…Fly amongst the trees? It quickly occurred to the Uchiha what the little girl meant. It was apparent that she would like to experience the higher speed of travel used by most nin to maximize their efficiency; in reality, a simple application of minute chakra to the leg muscles in order to increase optimal energy usage. As a result, it did look to the civilians as if nin possessed the ability to effortlessly glide through the air for long distances; an act that must have appeared almost magical to a young child.

It would have been impossible to deny the little girl such a simple request when she was looking so very earnest, and at last, the older boy nodded once.

"If you wish," he replied shortly in his usual, soft spoken voice, but little Sakura-chan did not appear to be at all intimidated by the older child's distant nature. No, eyes all but lit up with anticipation, she was about to clamber up the slender youth's back when she suddenly remembered her own furry little passenger. The little girl paused then, and suddenly looked somewhat hesitant and unsure of herself.

"Anou…I can't." she whispered at last, and she started to look rather forlorn. "Can we walk instead?" she asked rather nicely, albeit in a rather dejected manner that quickly told the Uchiha heir something was wrong. Then, Sakura continued to explain.

"My Itachi-chan might fall down and get hurt, so I must protect him no matter what, so I can't."

She sounded perfectly convinced by her own logic, though on the other hand, Uchiha Itachi stared at the young girl with something akin to great surprise. The young Genin wasn't very sure if he had heard correctly, and he reacted before he could control his impulse.

"…Itachi-chan?" The good looking raven-haired boy repeated faintly, and if Sakura-chan was a little older, she would have detected that nearly imperceptible hint of disbelief in that quiet, modulated tone of his.

But fortunately for Itachi, Sakura wasn't old enough to know better, and besides, he wasn't even the 'Itachi-chan' whom she was referring to.

To prove her point, the precocious child first walked around her rescuer and turned to face him. Then, she reached unabashedly into her coat, and with little preamble, grabbed something out from its inner lining. The Uchiha tensed slightly when he saw a wriggling mass of black being pulled reluctantly from the piece of clothing, and then had to visibly prevent himself from flinching when it was promptly shoved in his face courtesy of his exuberant charge.

"This is Itachi-chan!" Sakura cooed sweetly, even as the tiny handful of fur that she was happily clutching in her small hand wriggled and chittered angrily before the Uchiha's stunned expression. Not surprisingly, the little critter didn't look particularly keen to be so near the older boy, and Itachi shared the same sentiment.

As usual, Sakura didn't seem to notice. Satisfied now that she had shown off her new pet to her new friend, the little girl proceeded to hug her weasel to herself, much to the Genin's alarm. Concerned that she would be bitten, the older boy was about to try to take the animal away when surprisingly enough, the sleek, black creature broke free from Sakura's hold and proceeded to scamper its way down the length of her arm before skittering across her shoulder and heading straight back into the opening of her coat, much to Sakura's tickled laughter.

It was the truth that the nine year old Genin had no idea what to make of this strange situation, and it was further compounded by the fact that his namesake appeared to be glaring grumpily at him from its perch on the giggling young girl.

"He's cute, isn't he? My Itachi-chan?" Sakura stroked her pet with great adoration, and begrudgingly, the young animal allowed itself to be patted by the girl child, although that suspicious, dark eyed gaze never left Itachi for a single second. "I think Kaa-san will like him too."

Somehow, the logical and factual young Uchiha decided not to tell the blissful looking little girl that it was highly unlikely that anyone would welcome a weasel into their home. Weasels were, after all, the harbingers of ill fortune and disaster.

And if his guess was correct, this baby weasel that Sakura was carrying was probably the very reason why she had somehow ended up all alone in the middle of the forest at night.

"Did you become lost while looking for your…pet?" Itachi asked, even as he stood up and beckoned for the girl to go with him. Without preamble, Sakura immediately followed after him like an obedient little duckling, nodding and beaming at him in response to his question.

"I think he was lost too," the young pink-haired child was only too glad for the chance to talk about her Itachi-chan. "I saw him in the market, looking very hungry. Sakura-chan will feed you when we get home, okay, Itachi-chan?"

The little weasel merely looked up at its new caretaker, black nose twitching here and there, small ears perked up with interest, almost as if it really understood what the young child was saying. In reaction of such strange behavior from a woodland creature, Itachi found himself looking at the cheerful young girl contemplatively. There was a faint possibility that this young, untrained civilian child had somehow managed to use what minute amount of chakra she had to interact and tame the animal just by sheer instincts alone, which in turned implied that she could very well possess some latent abilities as a nin—if she ever learned to quit being so chatty, that is.

But now was not the time to consider such matters; he was still obligated to bring her to the Hokage Tower as quickly as possible.

"What is your name, nin-san?" Sakura asked out of the sudden then, childish curiosity lighting up those clear, emerald eyes of hers.

Itachi hesitated for a brief moment. "My name is Uchiha Itachi."

"I-ta-chi?" the pink-haired girl echoed, momentarily confused. She lit up quickly all the same, though. "Itachi, like my Itachi-chan?"

Now resigned to his fate, ridiculous as it was, the young boy nodded. It was strange that he was being so unguarded around this sunny and sweet-tempered little girl in a way that he had seldom been around others, but she was disarmingly charming in a guileless manner that not even his little brother and his sulky pout had succeeded in accomplishing, and the young Genin decided to put aside his somewhat disquieting realization to be analyzed later.

After all, rare or not, it was highly unlikely that he would come across this particular little girl after his assignment was concluded.

"So you must know what Itachi-chan eats, right, Itachi-kun?" Sakura stroked the head of her pet gently, a small frown starting to mar her brow as she contemplated her own question. "Because I don't know what Itachi-chan would like to eat…"

For once in his life, the Uchiha quickly found himself at a complete loss of words.

"…you believe that I'm like your…pet weasel?" He sounded almost bewildered, as if he was somehow no longer in control of the conversation, without even knowing it. It was definitely a disconcerting sensation, being repeatedly caught off guard by a four year old little girl. The serious, nine year old Genin had no idea whether to be annoyed or to be…amused.

Sakura nodded, firm belief evident in her large, expressive eyes.

"Kaa-san says that I'm Sakura, because of my hair." The little girl patted her hair, bringing his attention to the soft, chin-length strands that fell neatly around her small face. "See? It's pink, just like the Sakura blossoms! So you must be Itachi because your Kaa-san and Tou-san think that you resemble one!!"

Itachi certainly hoped not, and at the same time, it was all he could do to conceal the appalled expression on his face. Looking at the small, pointy faced animal who was still currently giving him the evil eye, wondering whether his parents had given him his name because of his physical resemblance to the furry critter was about the last thing Itachi would like to contemplate at the moment.

To be perfectly honest, he had never thought much about the significance of his name until this little girl by the name of Sakura had pointed it out to him. He would have been better off never having to think about such disturbing matters.

"Your little pet will probably do quite well on a diet of meat and eggs." The young Uchiha quickly changed the subject, easily recalling the bit of useless information that he had read somewhere a long time ago. Before the talkative little girl could open her mouth to ask any more questions (demoralizing to his pride and common sense), Itachi continued. "You must keep quiet for now, Sakura. I need to concentrate on our surroundings to keep you safe."

Sakura frowned slightly at the quiet, but nonetheless authoritative, request from the older boy, and nodded in agreement at last. "Alright."

Surprisingly enough, the pink-haired child was able to quietly occupy herself without demanding his attention, and Itachi was left in peace and blissful silence for the next twenty minutes or so. Not surprisingly, their progress out of the forest was painstakingly slow in order to accommodate Sakura's small, baby strides as they travelled carefully through the semi-darkness as well as the thick forest foliage, though it didn't take long for Itachi to notice when the young girl began to tire.

Slowly, she was starting to lag behind him, tripping clumsily over her own feet as more and more yawns crept across her dainty face, but to her credit, she didn't start to cry or whine to be carried. Come to think of it, she had probably missed dinner as well, but yet, Itachi had not heard even a peep of complaint coming from the child. He watched her carefully from the corner of his eye, but she didn't seem to notice his attention at all, judging by the busy way she was fighting her growing drowsiness—and slowly losing.

It went to the point where she was beginning to weave alarmingly in her track that the young Genin decided to interfere. Placing a gentle restraining hand on the smaller child, he stopped her movement, and at the same time, brought her attention to himself. She looked at him dazedly, large emerald eyes sleepy and lethargic.

"Itachi-kun? Why are we stopping?" she murmured a little confusedly, not exactly sure what was going on.

"You are tired, aren't you?" the raven-haired boy asked simply. Sakura actually had to think about his question for a bit before nodding in agreement. "Would you like to be carried?"

Sakura did not reply at first, although the little girl sagged bonelessly against the slender youth the moment he was near enough for her to do so. Itachi had to repeat his second question before he could get an answer out of the tired child.

Sakura rubbed her cheek sleepily against the hem of Itachi's shirt, and then nodded once again in soundless agreement.

"No flying." She remembered to put in her request. "Itachi-chan might-"

"-fall down and get hurt," Itachi completed the sentence in his usual stoic manner. "I will keep that in mind." He stooped down, and then paused, not sure how to go about carrying a little girl. It was easy handling Sasuke—he was a boy, after all, not to mention his younger brother. But this child was most certainly not male, nor was she related to him at all. However, before the Uchiha heir could worry about the matter too much, Sakura took matters into her own hand.

Eyes already falling shut, the little one stumbled blindly towards Itachi and wrapped her arms around his neck. Without preamble, she buried her face against the side of his throat and sighed sleepily. The Genin stiffened immediately, but when Sakura did not move, he slowly wrapped his arms around the child's waist and hoisted her up, resting her light weight against a lean hip. The pink-haired girl made a small sound as she was being adjusted until she fit properly against the youth's sleek torso, but mostly kept quiet and docile as Itachi made her as comfortable as possible.

Meanwhile, the black-furred, little 'Itachi-chan' had his head out of the girl's coat opening and was still staring suspiciously at the other Itachi. The Uchiha was also wary of the small animal, well aware of its potential to turn aggressive should it feel threatened. As if on cue, the fuzzy critter started to squeak unhappily at his human counterpart, almost as if scolding him furiously. The nine year old boy stilled; with an armful of drowsy Sakura, it was going to be difficult for him to defend himself should the weasel decide to attack.

"Hush, 'Tachi-chan," the little pink-haired girl mumbled in response to all the noise, shifting slightly as she did so. "I will get you food when we get home; wait for a bit more, okay?"

Surprisingly enough, its owner's voice was enough to reassure the little thing, and it fell quiet, drawing back within the safe confines of the coat, although Itachi had no qualms that it was probably watching him acutely even from its temporary burrow. Assured that he would not be attacked by the five inch long weasel, Itachi started his solitary trek back to the village. Sakura clung to him like a baby koala the entire way, unguardedly asleep in a manner that could only be achieved from pure trust in her temporary guardian.

"Itachi-kun," Sakura whispered drowsily against the youth's neck when they were about to reach their destination, her voice small and almost inaudible. "Thank you for coming to get me…"

The Uchiha heir in question paused briefly in his steps. Impassive dark eyes shifted over to look at the mussed mop of pink hair that spilled across his shoulder, and warmed fractionally.

"You are welcome, Sakura."

* * *

_::tsuzuku::_

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Yes, dear readers, you did not read wrongly. 'cabbage patch' is a continuous fic, or at the very least, it will be a collection of closely related one-shots depicting the relationship between Uchiha Itachi and Haruno Sakura over the years, from childhood to adulthood.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Be warned! I have plans to raise this fic's rating in the future, but not now, for rather obvious reasons. Concerned readers need not be worried; this fic will contain no pedophilic content (as well as minimal mention of Orochimaru).

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I'm aware that canon-verse Itachi and Sakura are roughly five to six years apart in age. For the sake of shortening their age gap in this fic, I will assume that they only have a difference of five years between them for this series.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

If the name 'Haruno Miharu' sounds terribly familiar to you, then you are right. This authoress was just being a lazy ass with no sense of creativity whatsoever, and had decided to use the same fictional name for Sakura's mother from 'That Stupid Dream.' Do not be surprised if this name appears in other fics in the future!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

The two other Genin members of Team Five are being complete bastards to Itachi, I know, but I believe that it's a reasonable reaction coming from a pair of thirteen year old boys. They are immature, they are intensely prideful, and it makes sense for them to feel intimidated and resentful over the many accomplishments of a younger Genin so much more superior to them in terms of intelligence and ability. They might have stopped their taunting of their youngest teammate had the latter attempted to retaliate, be it in the form of reporting the bullying to his superior and/or his clan, or by brute force, but because Itachi chose not to do so, they merely got bolder, hence the blatant scorn and disrespect towards the passive Uchiha heir.

Do keep in mind that the formation of Team Five is still relatively new, perhaps only five months or so in effect, and that's also part of the reason contributing to the friction within the team.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I hope the appearance of 'Itachi-chan' (the other one, not our favorite Uchiha) will not come across as a complete cliché to some of you. I have plans for the baby mustelid, you will see soon enough. So for now, please content yourselves in the rather adorable imagery of Genin!Itachi vs. Chibi!Itachi!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

For those unaware, '_tensai'_ means genius in Japanese.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Last but not least, this is the first time I'm writing young Sakura and Itachi, so I would love feedback and constructive criticisms from the readers!

If Itachi does seem just a tiny bit more responsive and open in this fic, that is purely intentional. Remember, he is only nine years old at the moment, and only a Genin, albeit a rather serious and intelligent one. I reckon that he will be freer with his emotions prior to his promotion to the Chuunin rank, as well as his subsequent entry into the infamous ANBU Black Ops.

As for Sakura, well, she's still a baby, and therefore still retains that inherent faith and innocent expectation towards any authority figure, in this case, her rescuer. I don't think she's old enough to feel awkward being carried by a boy yet, and I hope that fully explains Sakura's natural trust towards Itachi.

That's all for now; I hope you folks enjoyed reading this as much as I have writing it!

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Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

--paws


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** cabbage patch

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/General/Humor

**Word Count:** 6593

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #23, cabbage patch

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Non-massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.

**Created on:** 03/04/09

**Completed on:** 14/04/09

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 12/06/09

**

* * *

**

Chapter Two

* * *

The next time he saw her, it was three months later.

It was swiftly nearing the day of the Chuunin Exams, but unfortunately, despite the past months of unceasing C and D ranked missions, Team Five's teamwork was still nowhere near proficient enough to make them an effective combat cell. The two older Genin members worked well enough together, it was he that they had a problem with—the youngest member of the team, and strangely enough, also the most experienced Genin out of the three of them as well.

Unfortunately, his passivity and reluctance to react to his teammates' hostility had only served to further stoke their dislike for him, already inflamed by the fact that his abilities as a ninja far surpassed that of their own.

Their Jounin instructor had been anything but pleased. Team building exercises were emphasized again and again, sometimes literally pounded into the more mulishly stubborn members of the group, and even then, the results were clearly reluctant and unenthusiastic. It was beginning to become frustrating, this resentment against him when he had done nothing to deserve it in the first place. He was always one to follow orders down to the very letter, never failing to complete his agenda with clinical precision, never allowing his personal thoughts and judgment to interfere with a mission. If only his teammates could learn to be objective as well; to put aside their differences and just cooperate for the exams, then they wouldn't be wasting precious time fulfilling such pointless endeavors…

It was after one such wearisome session with the team when he had come across the little girl again. Mentally exhausted and agitated from constantly having to butt heads with his cellmates for the entire morning and half of the afternoon, he had been taking a short cut through a park, purposefully making his way to his family's private training grounds for extra physical conditioning when he glimpsed the flash of pink on the edge of his peripheral vision.

He easily recognized four year old Haruno Sakura. Her unique coloring had made it relatively easy to identify her even from across the street, though this time around, she looked nothing like the curious and precocious child whom he had rescued that night those months ago.

Cornered and scared, her small, elfin face was pale with distress, large pearlescent droplets of tears slipping from upset pools of emerald as she sniffled pitifully and tried her best to cower away from her tormentors—a pair of older boys, perhaps two or three years her senior—as they jeered viciously at her and loudly made fun of her pink hair and high forehead. He observed that they had her neatly trapped at a corner of the sandbox, currently the most remote section of the play area within the park, partially hidden from view from just about anyone who would stroll past. If not for his acute hearing and the fact that he was swiftly passing through the area via the treetops, he would probably not have noticed the bullying that was going on.

"Hah! What a cry-baby! Shut up, you brat! You are such a pain! Your forehead is so huge and ugly that no one will ever want to play with you; just give us your toys already and get out of here, freak!" The one easily identified as the leader sneered, whereas his sidekick smirked nastily and made a show out of picking his nose, before reaching out with his dirty fingers and roughly grabbing the young girl's hair.

Little Sakura whimpered in pain when the larger boy pulled cruelly on her pink strands of hair, in the process dislodging the precious red ribbon that her new friend Ino had given her just a few days earlier. Her eyes widened slightly as she watched the hair accessory drop to the floor, and her attackers quickly saw the dismayed reaction that she didn't quite managed to hide. Small hands reached out to retrieve the ribbon, only for it to be kicked away from her and ruthlessly stomped on.

The pink-haired little girl froze, her watery eyes trained upon the beloved present that her one and only friend had given to her. The pristine red cloth that she had carefully and painstakingly worn with pride and joy was now rumpled and dirt smeared, and the young girl felt her tears flow faster. The two boys did not seem to care; they grinned maliciously to each other for a job well done.

"Oi, what do you know? Look, that disgusting pink hair of hers worked to cover that huge forehead!!"

"Hey, you are right! Yuck, she is still so ugly, though!!!"

The little girl was no longer reacting to the boys' taunts and jeers. Desperately trying to take back her precious hair ribbon, she tried to lunge for the foot that held her prized belonging from her, attempting to snatch it back before either bully could react. Unfortunately, she was quickly held back by a strong tug on her hair while the other boy snatched up her ribbon and proceeded to wave it before her face.

"Oh? You want this back, you ugly little girl?"

"Please!" Sakura pleaded, whimpering tearfully as she tried to reach for her precious possession. "This is mine! Please give it back to me! You can take my toys, but not that!!"

The two bullies glanced at each other—and smiled.

"Nah," the older one smirked. "I don't want your girly toys anymore. This is more fun, eh?"

Right before her helpless gaze, the bully grasped the dirtied, crumpled ribbon and proceeded to toy with it, watching with malicious delight at the way the young girl's eyes followed his every action pitifully.

"Please give it back!" Sakura cried out when she couldn't bear it any longer. When her request was denied, it was as if something within her snapped. She tried to struggle away from the grasp of the other boy who held her in place, feeling a small burst of anger over how they were bullying her and making her cry, twisting around and doing her best to scratch and beat at the hand that were pulling on her hair with all the might of her four year old strength.

Unfortunately, she only managed to surprise her tormentors before they quickly saw fit to put her back in her place—painfully.

"Ouch!! You stupid-!!!! That really hurt, you brat!!"

The little pink-haired girl flinched and screwed her eyes tightly shut when she saw the fist that came at her with great speed. Cringing, she prepared herself for the inevitable pain to come, but surprisingly enough, it never did.

"Yeowch!!! Ow!! Ow!! Ow!!!!! What the- Let go!!"

Cautiously, Sakura opened her eyes slowly only to be faced with a stunning sight. Determinedly hanging off the fingers of one of her tormentors was her pet weasel. The little black animal had been kept locked in its cage prior to Sakura's outing today, much to its displeasure and hers, but Kaa-san had been adamant that Itachi-chan not be allowed to go to the park in case he frightened off the other children.

Judging by the way those sharp teeth of her darling baby pet were clamping determinedly onto her attacker and not letting go whatsoever, the pink-haired girl decided not to wonder how her Itachi-chan had managed to escape his cage, her previously distressed features lighting up with happiness and pride as her pet came to her rescue.

The other bully who was pulling on her hair to keep her in place gaped stupidly at the sight of his friend being attacked by a tiny, six inch long mustelid.

"Don't just stand there and watch! Help me, you idiot!"

"Al- alright." Sakura was released so abruptly that she lost her balance and fell onto the floor. The little girl bit her lip at the sharp pain that flared on her knees, but pushed it aside in favor of standing back up as quickly as she could, albeit in a shaky manner.

"Uh, is that a rat? Will it bite me too?" The sidekick looked warily at the creature that his friend was trying to shake off violently, but to no avail.

"Just grab it by the head, you dumbass! It can't bite you if it can't move! And hurry! It hurts!"

"Okay! But you must keep still first!"

Sakura's euphoria at her pet's appearance was quickly diminished when the two older boys worked together to dislodge the little weasel from its death bite. Large eyes widened anxiously when they managed to pry the animal off its target, and her yet unnamed Itachi-chan chattered angrily and tried to claw itself free from the grubby hands that gripped it tightly by the neck, only to squeal in pain when those fingers tightened viciously.

"Stop! What are you doing?" The little pink haired girl cried out when she saw the brutal way they were handling her pet. "You are hurting it!"

"Hurting it?" the bitten boy snarled, face red and twisted with ugly fury as he bared his teeth at the small, helpless animal that his sidekick was gripping. "The rat _hurt_ me. I'm going to kill it!"

Sakura stiffened when the bully turned his sights on to her powerless pet, and at that moment, something hard and raw and desperate flashed across the little girl's formerly fearful gaze.

Rage.

Her Itachi-chan was only trying to rescue her from their torment; how dare they try to hurt her beloved pet?!

The upset that she had felt earlier grew to such unimaginable proportions that Sakura actually began to shake with the strength of her emotions, her eyes shadowed and her small form stiff. She had had about enough of these nasty, rude people; her passive nature could only take so much before it snapped, _and this_ _was the last straw_.

Ino-chan was right.

If it meant that she was ugly and hideous and had a big forehead to these bullies, then so be it.

She would make full use of what was given to her by Nature to deal with these people who tried to hurt and destroy her most precious.

What happened next occurred so quickly that both older boys had no idea how it was even possible.

One moment, the weak little girl was so timid and terrified that they were absolutely certain she would never dare go against them, and the next, she had somehow became a crazed, violent _banshee_, albeit a rather pint-sized one.

The younger child had been quiet and scared before, but not any longer. No more.

With no warning whatsoever, she opened her mouth and _screeched_ at the top of her lungs, wailing an ear splitting war cry as she screamed and screamed and screamed shrilly, until she was bright red in the face and the boys were beginning to panic—all the commotion was going to bring an adult running over very soon. Momentarily stunned by the sudden change in situation, the two bullies found their attention temporarily diverted from the animal in their hands, only to be confronted by an entirely different problem in the form of its enraged owner.

"_Let him go!!!_"

With a loud bellow, the little girl charged furiously at the pair of surprised boys, no hesitation whatsoever in her movements as she threw herself at her older tormentor, slamming against him with all her might and knocking the boy down with her momentum. Then, clearly in a fit of wild rage, she recovered quickly from the impact and started to hit the boy with her fists, pounding hard and scratching at his face and pretty much everywhere she could nail him, her little face red with exertion as she screamed and shrieked angrily at the gasping boy who could only try feebly to defend himself against the unleashed fury of the young child who had pinned him down on the ground, digging her skinned knees right into his kidneys.

The boy yelled in pain, trying to dislodge the crazed child, but to no avail. She stuck determinedly to her attacker like a burr, and when he tried to hit her back, she bit him, clearly not above acting like her rabid pet if the situation called for it.

"Argghh!!!"

Shocked by the sheer ferocity of the younger girl's attack, his partner watched dumbly for a few seconds before finally reacting.

"H- hey!!! Get off him!!" When he was promptly ignored, the other boy quickly tried to haul little Sakura off his friend, a rather awkward maneuver considering he was still holding onto a slippery, struggling weasel in one hand. Not surprisingly, Sakura easily resisted his attempts to remove her, her fury lending her strength that she didn't even know she possessed.

"Get her off me!!! It hurts!" the older boy shouted; the little girl's punches were surprisingly painful, even more so than anything that he had ever experienced. The bully was beginning to develop a healthy sense of fear towards this _terrifyingly_ _enraged_ _entity_, and then, his sidekick finally managed to drag her off him, the girl screaming and kicking the entire way.

The poor bully felt as if he had just been run over by a farmer's cart by the time he recovered and climbed shakily to his feet. Parts of his face were bleeding slightly, and even looked as if they were going to swell painfully later on. His arms were lacerated with scratches and even bite marks, and indeed, the boy looked as if he had just survived a mauling from a wild animal, which wasn't very far from the truth, judging by how his partner was having trouble restraining the angry little girl.

"Let go! Let go! _Let go!!!_" Sakura chanted shrilly, mad as a hornet at being denied her revenge. It seemed that those two boys had opened Pandora's Box, and whatever they had inadvertently released had no intention of being held down so easily.

"Oi, calm down; are you a lunatic?!!!" the sidekick demanded with a fierce shake of the girl, only to let out a yell of his own when his hold on the weasel slipped slightly and earned him a vicious bite when the animal wriggled from his loosened hold, turning around and chomping down furiously on its captor's fingers. In his pain, the boy released the little weasel's owner, a mistake that he soon regretted when the young girl whipped around, saw how he was trying to shake her pet off with brute strength, and immediately reacted with more violence. She jumped back into the fray with a high-pitched, enraged roar that only a young child could accomplish, and before she could be stopped, she violently head butted the sidekick right in the face.

The assaulted boy felt his head snap back from the force of the aggressive impact of forehead to nose. Pain exploded in his face, and he staggered backwards, finally letting go of the weasel in his shock and allowing the animal to scamper back to the safety of his owner's heaving shoulders. The boy clutched at the nasal portion of his face, eyes watering, yowling in pain even as his friend quickly went to him, offering support in numbers against this demon child that they had somehow unleashed.

Not surprisingly, they both flinched back when the girl made a small movement, and her messy, disheveled, and bruised appearance only added to the feral impression that she was giving them, never mind the fact that they had chosen her as their bullying target earlier on because of her sweet, pretty appearance and innocent, cotton candy pink hair.

Now, the color pink was going to give them nightmares for months to come, and it would be all thanks to this little terror that they had encountered today.

"I was wrong," the older boy hissed out at last, looking just as battered as his partner-in-crime. "You are not only an ugly little girl. You are also a freak, just like that rat of yours!!"

Now that the adrenaline was dissipating quickly, Sakura was beginning to feel more than a bit horrified over what she had done, especially when she saw the damage that she had somehow dealt to the two older boys. The violent red haze that had overpowered her senses was no longer overwhelming her emotions; she should have known better than to lose control of her anger! However, before she could return to her passive nature and timidly apologize for her actions, the boy's cruel words caught up to her, and even as she cringed inwardly with hurt at his derision of her, something else that he had said quickly made her eyes flash with renewed anger.

"Take that back! My Itachi is not a freak!" she cried out, reacting before she could stop herself, stepping up quickly, only to falter slightly with disbelief when the two boys whom she was facing hastily backed away from her.

"Wh- whatever!" the older one sneered with false bravado. "Just don't come near us...freak!!"

A large part of the little girl felt like bursting into tears again at the nasty name calling, but she managed to hold on to her shaky composure, even when all she wanted to do was to shrink back, hug her brave little pet to herself, and curl up into a tight little ball of misery. But she could not do so, yet; these bullies were still here and even though her furry friend had been so courageous and willing to defend her from them, she did not want it to get hurt again. Therein laid her firm resolve to put up a strong front until the danger had fully passed.

"O- okay...I won't come near you if you won't come near me!" she reasoned in a childishly determined voice, though her tormentors were still too traumatized by her violent attack not to agree. Neither of them wished to experience her fury again. Indeed, before this day was through, all the older children would know to tread carefully around one Haruno Sakura or face the consequences.

Then, the Calvary arrived.

"Hey!! What are you guys doing?!! Get away from Sakura-chan!!!"

There was a swift pitter patter of feet as four year old Yamanaka Ino ran towards the park's play area, angrily waving her fist at the two infamous bullies of their neighborhood. The boys tensed; with the additional backup arriving, it was time for them to beat a quick retreat. The last thing they wanted was for the fierce but popular Yamanaka girl to learn that they had been soundly trounced by her gentle, quiet friend, and so, without much ado, they slunk away quickly, but not before extracting a quick promise from the little pink-haired girl to never ever mention today's events to anyone.

It was something Sakura was only too glad to give in exchange for being left alone.

"Sakura!! Did they do anything to you?! Eh?!!! What happened to your hair and clothes!! Did they hurt you? I will not let them off easy the next time I see them, I swear!! Eyaaaa!!! What's that on your shoulder?!!!"

Sakura watched bemusedly as her fierce and outspoken friend squealed and watched her little pet with wary fear, and slowly came to the conclusion that perhaps she was not the only one with fears and insecurities. Despite her creeping exhaustion and the fact that her various bruises were beginning to remind her of their painful existence, the pink-haired little girl smiled shyly at her new best friend and slowly lifted her hand to gently pat Itachi-chan.

The formerly ferocious baby weasel chittered and trilled, becoming perfectly tame under its owner's touch, rubbing its head against her cheek, partially hidden behind her soft pink hair.

"This is my pet, Itachi-chan," Sakura told her friend. "He protected me from those bullies."

Ino watched her ruffled looking friend and her equally scruffy pet, the tiny animal looking a little worse for wear after its altercation with those boys, missing a small patch of fur here and there, but the affectionate way it was behaving towards Sakura quickly assured the blonde that the animal was not dangerous towards her friend. Ino giggled.

"You are so strange! Who has a weasel for a pet?" Before Sakura could feel hurt over the reply, the little blonde girl grinned broadly and continued. "But I suppose I can see why! It's so cute!"

Sakura blushed, and if Itachi-chan could blush too, it would have as well.

"Well, can I touch him?"

"Of course!" Sakura declared happily, eager to show off her furry companion. "Come down from there, Itachi-chan. Ino-chan wants to feel your smooth, silky fur; will you please let her touch you?"

The two young girls spent the rest of the afternoon admiring the plucky baby weasel, talking and laughing as they played with the proud, preening little creature, until it was time to go home and their respective parents came to collect them. They made promises to meet again the next day, and it truly was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

It wasn't until Sakura got home later that she realized with dismay that those bullies had never returned her precious red ribbon.

* * *

The supposedly 'helpless' little girl was not as helpless as Itachi had first thought.

It truly was a surprising turn of events. She had been scared and crying mere moments before, cowering under the bullies and trying her best not to attract more of their attention. Her frightened and terrified countenance was something he did not blame her for; like his own otouto, she was but a young child, and confronted by two older bullies who thought nothing of roughing up a little girl who had done nothing to them.

To her credit, she had tried to fight back, but she was small and there was only so much she could do before the boys overpowered her and tried to hit her back, and that he could not allow. He had not intended to interfere at first; the world was seldom fair, and no matter how everyone tried to pretend that the threat of bullying did not exist, it did, and there would always be a facet of it no matter where one turned. The weak would be subjected to the whims of the strong; it was how the world worked in the past, and that would not change now, or even in the future.

But as much as his apathetic nature told him that this was none of his business, he drew the line at standing by and watching indifferently as a young child was purposely hurt.

The world might be unfair, but he still had the power to defy it once in awhile, to help others, even when he was unable to help himself.

Breaking off a large twig from the branch that he was crouched on, he was about to toss it at the bully when a little black streak made its appearance known, racing towards its mistress and quickly taking on her attacker with a protective ferocity seldom seen in such a small woodland creature. The assault on the little pink-haired girl was quickly thwarted, and Itachi decided to stay put, to wait and see how the situation would change before he decided to step in.

It turned out that he would not have to interfere after all, that little Haruno Sakura had the situation perfectly under control, even though it might not look that way at the moment.

Not surprisingly, the little weasel's attempt to come to its owner's aid was not quite enough, though Itachi would never have expected for its capture to induce such a powerful, _violent_, reaction from his young owner.

It happened almost immediately after the bitten boy had threatened to kill her pet, and all of a sudden, the mild-mannered and precociously sweet little girl was no more—she was possessed by a terrifyingly vicious entity which proceeded to go on a rampage and bring the wrath of hell right upon the heads of the two unfortunate souls who had wronged her.

She had screamed at a pitch that he had not thought possible for the human vocal box to achieve, a shrill war cry of utter rage, before she charged over and proceeded to overwhelm her tormentors with a well placed body slam, effectively rendering her target immobile the only way she knew, biting and punching and scratching like a wild cat. He had been surprised by the brutality of her reactions, this was not the gentle little girl whom he had rescued months ago, but at the same time, the quick, analytical part of him swiftly realized that she possessed very good instincts, especially for an untrained civilian child like herself.

She had to, in order to succeed in pinning down the larger and older boy, and in the process, wounding him and drawing blood.

By the time she was dragged off her victim, the bully looked as if he had just been stampeded by an enraged elephant, literally a shadow of his former self. The young Uchiha heir had been impressed, and even more so when she managed to free herself with a timely and painful head butt, working with her little pet to remove themselves from harm.

He came to the conclusion then that the little girl was a natural, bona fide berserker.

By then, her tormentors were very wary of her, having been taught a rough lesson of how not to judge a book by its cover, no doubt. They were clearly reluctant to approach the little girl anymore, and they were obviously terrified when she tried to move towards them.

And yet, Itachi thought with dispassionate contempt, they were still foolhardy enough to try to bait the pink-haired child with nasty words and slurs against her and her weasel.

He had half expected her to react with violence again, but surprisingly enough, she seemed to have calmed down quickly, and appeared almost aghast by the damage that she had inflicted on the two boys. He did not share her sentiments—they were the ones who had underestimated their opponent, after all, and had picked a fight with the wrong person, small as she might be right now.

Then, she had appeared genuinely hurt by the boys' insult towards her, but quickly became angry again when they implicated her pet. Her strange reaction made him reconsider the entire situation from a different angle, and once again, he was surprised by what he had found.

Interesting; she had been passive and timid when attacked earlier, degraded and laughed at, all but ready to roll onto her back like a submissive and beaten little puppy when those bullies made the mistake of trying to hurt her pet.

Never mind that she herself had been terrified of the jeering older boys, she had still risen to the defense of the little black critter with a ferocity and speed that was certainly impressive for one so young, and it was becoming more and more obvious to him that _this little one was a natural born protector_.

A part of him wondered at her potential to become even stronger as she grew older, and for some reason, he anticipated seeing the person she would eventually become.

The appearance of another little girl quickly signaled the end of the altercation and the hasty retreat of the young bullies, and impassive onyx eyes watched as the pink-haired child who had caught his attention quickly shed that fierce aura of hers, carefully wrapping that protective spirit of hers under layers of shyness and deceptive uncertainty, every inch the sweet, helpless girl child once again.

It was almost as if she possessed a…split personality.

_Or perhaps, she was still too young to permanently support that particular side of her character. _

The small hint of idle interest that flickered to life within him three months ago was growing into something stronger—firmer.

Acknowledgement.

The danger had already passed, and soundlessly, Itachi turned and started to leave the area, undetected by the carefree children playing happily beneath him. He had already delayed his training schedule for the day because of his curiosity towards little Haruno Sakura, and besides, there was still something else to do, something that he had to retrieve, before he could resume his journey to the training grounds.

Now that she had captured his curiosity, it would be prudent for him to keep an eye out for her henceforth. Her willpower was so much stronger than she looked to have, and if she ever learned to develop her physical strength as well as properly harness that will to protect, he had no doubt that she would become something to behold one day.

Until then, he saw no harm in watching over her whenever he could, just to see how she would grow.

But for now, he had a pair of bullies to see to, and a certain beloved ribbon to retrieve. The young boys would learn never to bother the little girl child whom he had deigned worthy enough to come under his protection, and would never dare to cause any distress to her or her friend—ever again.

* * *

Two days later, a disgruntled Uchiha Shisui found himself feeding the mosquitoes in a quiet part of Konoha's residential zone. It had seemed like a good idea at the time to follow his mysterious cousin to see what the young boy was up to, but now, after sitting beside the motionless preteen for the better part of an hour and still not very sure what on earth they were supposed to be doing, the sixteen year old Jounin was about ready to throw in the towel.

"Is there any reason why we are sitting in a bush feeding the wildlife, little cousin?"

Unfortunately enough, Itachi did not reply the older Uchiha. In fact, the serious, ten year old Genin did not even seem to register his relative's comment. It wasn't that surprising to the latter though; Itachi tried not to make it too obvious, but Shisui was getting the vibe that his endearing nickname irritated the boy something fierce.

…all the more reason for him to keep that little pet name just for his stoic younger cousin, in his honest opinion. Uncle Fugaku would not be amused, but then again, Itachi was no tattle-tale, not to mention how he was the Uchiha heir's private instructor at the moment, which meant that Itachi was obligated to respect and obey him, no matter how idiotic and un-Uchiha-like he might be sometimes.

Strangely enough, Itachi appeared to be more preoccupied surveying the house a few hundred meters away, for some reason Shisui did not comprehend. This was the civilian part of Konoha, after all; what business would Itachi have here?

"Oi, you do know that we are supposed to be revising your techniques in preparation for the Chuunin exams, right? Your father is going to be displeased if he learns that you are not sticking to the schedule he set for you."

At that, there was a reaction from the younger Uchiha. Blank onyx eyes shifted to regard the Jounin, and Itachi scrutinized the older teen for a brief moment.

"…I doubt you are in any position to carry tales to my father, Shisui."

Shisui was slightly put out by how unruffled his little cousin was. Most boys his age would have been terrified by that threat, especially so when one had a parent as strict and authoritarian as Uchiha Fugaku, but then again, Itachi wasn't exactly like most young boys.

"That's Shisui-sensei to you, you little brat. Don't think that I'm afraid to give you a noogie just because your father is one scary son of a bitch and your mother will give me a ear pulling I will never forget if she hears me using such language around her 'precious little boy.' Why did I even agree to be your trainer? Oh yes, no one says 'no' to your scary father. Oi, are you even listening to me?"

Unfortunately for the rambling Uchiha, his relative was no longer paying any attention to him.

Even from the distance, Itachi had noticed his target slink stealthily out from the house, small and young as it was. He quickly attracted its attention by emitting an abrupt, concentrated burst of chakra, an act that quickly made his partner stare at him with surprise. The younger Uchiha ignored his cousin and watched as the little animal respond to the familiar energy signature, swiveling its head and fixing those black button eyes in his direction.

It was as he had predicted; the small weasel seemed to have developed an ability to detect chakra, which quickly explained how it had been able to track down its mistress whenever she was in trouble. It was very rare for wild animals to have that sort of ability, which made the Uchiha suspect that it might have gained it indirectly from the little pink-haired girl who had adopted it.

Curiously, the small animal started to lope quickly towards Itachi and Shisui, who had gone quiet by now as he watched what was going on with questions and incredulity in his eyes. It was evident to Itachi that the black-furred creature recognized him as a friend, judging by the way that it approached him boldly and with no sense of fear whatsoever. It was still wary enough to stay just out of reach though, whiskers quivering as it stood on its hind legs, pointed face cocked slightly as it chittered impatiently at him, almost as if demanding for him to explain what he was doing in _its territory_.

A small, barely perceptible flicker of amusement fleeted past previously blank onyx at the animal's bossiness. He was beginning to form the conclusion that it was much more similar to its mistress than he had previously thought. He had an idea how to win over the distrustful, grumpy little creature, though, and slowly revealed a small piece of sweetmeat from his pocket to offer it.

Immediately, black button eyes homed in on the treat that lay innocently on his palm with precise accuracy. Itachi merely waited patiently for a reaction as the small wet nose twitched back and forth, causing the fine whiskers to tremble as the tiny creature considered the delicious whiff of food that it smelled.

The allure of the food must have won the battle against its wariness, and brutally pragmatic, the animal quickly scampered up towards Itachi, coming to a stop beside the dark-haired preteen and unceremoniously snatching away the piece of sweetmeat with its small front paws. Squeaking happily, it proceeded to ignore its feeder and started to gorge greedily, sitting on its hind legs and busily stuffing its face with the mouthwatering portion of food that it had just been given.

It paused when Itachi moved to take something from his other pocket, those strangely intelligent beady eyes watching him intently, cheeks bulging with food and little body tensing, almost as if preparing for flight. The young Uchiha kept his movements slow and steady in order not to further alarm the young creature, and at last he withdrew a familiar red piece of cloth. It was the hair ribbon that had been so very important to little Haruno Sakura, and it had been washed clean, no traces of dirt anywhere on the precious hair accessory. The little weasel's nose twitched again, and it was obvious that its sense of smell was so acute that it could still discern its mistress' scent on the material.

"This belongs to your owner," Itachi told the small black animal unperturbedly, almost as if it didn't matter that he was talking to a creature that was, by right, in no way able to understand what he was saying. "Will you take it back? I will give you another piece of sweetmeat for your effort."

To Uchiha Shisui's infinite surprise, the woodland animal actually seemed to be considering the bargain, and at last, nodded!!! Shisui swore he saw the little creature bob his head in agreement!! For an animal that had no inherent nin abilities whatsoever, it was definitely an amazing feat.

Itachi did not seem very surprised, though. After calmly informing his namesake that he would tie the ribbon around its neck so that it wouldn't fall off, the young Uchiha heir proceeded to secure the red cloth just as he had mentioned, before extracting another piece of treat from his pocket to reward the little thing.

Little Itachi-chan was surprisingly grateful, and seemed to warm up quickly to the young Uchiha, emitting a quick trill of thanks from its throat before scampering away, a small flash of black with a cape of red fluttering behind it.

Itachi turned to Shisui then, and sighed inwardly at the older nin's incredulous stare.

"We can resume training now," the stoic Genin informed his instructor, rising smoothly to his feet and turning away towards the training grounds. Shisui followed suit, and finally decided to speak.

"Wait; did you just talk to an _animal_? What are you? An Inuzuka? And what's that ribbon thing about?" Unfortunately for Itachi, his attempts to walk a bit quicker than normal were completely foiled by the fact that his instructor was the infamous 'Shunshin no Shisui,' which meant that the latter basically possessed the tenacity of a barnacle and was exceedingly difficult to shake off, not to mention he was supposed to be learning some of the elder's speed techniques today.

Realization suddenly struck Shisui. The older, dark-haired Uchiha whistled under his breath and stared at his cousin with something akin to amused admiration.

"_Oh, I see_." Itachi was pretty sure that he did not appreciate that exasperating sly tone his idiot relative was using, though he did not show it. Shisui tended to become even more irritating than usual whenever he realized that he was getting the younger Uchiha's goat, and Itachi had no wish to further aggravate himself if possible.

Not to mention, Itachi had learned from experience that, whenever Shisui was using that particular tone, he was definitely up to no good.

Seconds later, his prediction proved to be right on the dot.

"So, little Itachi-chan has a girlfriend now, eh?"

Not surprisingly, Shisui was promptly ignored. The older Uchiha was undaunted, however, and continued to push his luck. "Hey, aren't you at the age whereby girls still have cooties?"

"The term 'cooties' refer to an imaginary disease, Shisui. I don't think it is possible for such a thing to exist," the younger boy reasoned calmly.

"Oh, wow. You actually researched it?"

"…no, but I believe this is common knowledge."

Shisui scowled at the younger male.

"Oi, don't go and act cool on me, lover boy. So who is that girl you are hiding, huh? I promise not to tell that terrifying father of yours." Shisui paused, glanced at his stone-faced relative, and continued. "At least, I hope for the future sake of our Great and Illustrious Clan that it's a girl you are interested in."

"I have no interest in anything but doing well in the Chuunin exams," Itachi iterated quietly.

It was true, at least for now. Shisui caught his unspoken implication, though.

"And after the Chuunin exams?" the older teen probed with mad curiosity.

The young Uchiha heir had the proper answer for his busybody cousin, though.

"That will be none of your business."

"Oi, you brat!! No respect!!"

_

* * *

_

::tsuzuku::

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

I'm aware that there's no direct interaction between Itachi and Sakura in this installment, but not to worry, there's always the next chapter!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I started writing this with the full intention of establishing Sakura's character. As you can see, I think the plot ran away from me halfway through. Still, I find myself rather enchanted with the many possibilities that this baby!Sakura can bring. For those who are grumbling that she's not supposed to be so bold and courageous, please save your argument. My theory for baby!Sakura is that she's normally a shy, very passive, sweet-tempered child who would not retaliate even when bullied by others.

Then why is she fighting those bullies in this installment, you ask?

Well, that's because those boys were foolish enough to try to hurt her beloved pet. It's true that the timid little girl cannot seem to muster up the courage to defend herself when needed, but that does not mean she will not do so all the same when those important to her are being threatened. At least, my version of baby!Sakura is rather protective of her precious beings, enough for it to override her natural inclination against violence (and allow baby!Inner Sakura to emerge).

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I'm not really sure just when canon-verse Ino and Sakura met and became friends, but I have a suspicion that they were both a bit older than four/five years of age as indicated in this installment when that happened. For the sake of this series, let's just pretend that their meeting occurred a few years earlier, so please don't nitpick on the timeline with me, okay?

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Last but not least, please expect Uchiha Shisui to make cameo appearances here and there in this series. That guy is just _begging_ to be written, and I can only resist for so long!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

--paws


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** cabbage patch

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/General/Humor

**Word Count:** 8835

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #23, cabbage patch

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Non-massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.

**Created on:** 22/06/09

**Completed on:** 29/06/09

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 04/07/09

* * *

**Chapter Three**

* * *

"Chuunin Exam Final match; Konoha's Uchiha Itachi versus Kiri's Seiryoku Tokui…Commence!!"

The officiating Jounin moved swiftly out of range of the two Chuunin hopefuls currently locked in a standoff, and all around them, the spectators within the crowded stadium roared with anticipation. This was the fight that they had all been waiting to see. The climax of this exciting examination, the showcase of pure talent from all the shinobi nations, it all stemmed down to this—the best of the best of the Genin participants matched against each other in one last, no doubt epic, battle.

The young ten year old child prodigy of the Uchiha clan was facing off against a much larger, meaner-looking, fifteen year old Genin from the aptly named Village of the Bloody Mists. This was the third battle for both combatants on this day, and both had rightfully won their places in the finals, systematically defeating their opponents in their respective matches.

Uchiha Itachi, the boy child of the proud clan of Sharingan wielders, was blank faced and calm, the very epitome of stoicism and cool composure that his House actively encouraged amongst its members. His narrowed eyes were pools of unfathomable onyx, the stance in his young body one of alert readiness, and his immaculate attire reasonably clean for one who had just participated in two matches—and won.

His adversary, however, was a study in contrast compared to the much younger Leaf Genin. Seiryoku Tokui was by no means an elegant person; the harsh regiments of his brutal village had ensured that his mind and body were conditioned perfectly for warfare and nothing else. The aggressive, feral-looking teenager was bigger and taller than his opponent, and whereas Uchiha Itachi had successfully subdued his previous opponents in non-hostile manners, allowing them to yield the match in his favor, Tokui was covered in the fresh blood of his previous _victims_, having mauled and viciously attacked the Genin unfortunate enough to fight against him until the Jounin referee had been forced to step in to call the match. The Mist-nin was certainly living up to the bloodthirsty reputation of his village, to say the least.

The young Uchiha did not appear perturbed by the show of savagery that he had witnessed earlier, firsthand. Itachi observed the other Genin with sharp, intelligent eyes instead, his smaller form showing no signs of intimidation or fear as he firmly stood his ground against Tokui.

The Kiri-nin sneered at the pretty-looking boy child.

"Ready to run crying back to your Mommy, little Uchiha?"

Itachi did not even react to the taunt, merely watched and waited for the other to make a move first.

Tokui did not disappoint.

Without even the need for hand seals, the trademark Kirigakure no jutsu was quickly utilized, and thick mist started to pour into the arena. Visibility became drastically limited, and so the young, raven-haired Genin closed his eyes, relying instead on the rest of his unhindered senses to detect the enemy. He had noted from the previous matches that Seiryoku was mostly an ambush fighter, cleverly using panic and psychological warfare to unsettle and downright terrorize his opponents into making mistakes that he did not hesitate to exploit viciously. There was also no doubt that the older Genin had killed before; the impressive amount of bloodlust he was currently exuding was telling enough.

Therein laid the mistake that the Uchiha _tensai_ had been looking for.

It was common knowledge amongst higher ranked Chuunin and all Jounin that even though killing intent, no matter how little, had the ability to disorientate and strike terror in the hearts of those not used to being subjected to it, it was also an effective homing device that could be potentially turned back on the user who was radiating such rampant thoughts of violence and bloodshed. It was for that exact reason that it was highly discouraged for any nin below Jounin-level to attempt such techniques when trying to conceal one's position from an enemy—a stronger opponent with a greater willpower and enough experience with encountering and negating the effects of bloodlust would have no problem shrugging it off _and then_ using it to track down his enemy.

And so, the predator became the prey.

With nary a whisper, the younger Genin suppressed his chakra and concealed his presence completely, silently fading into the chakra-imbued mists and out of range of his opponent.

Or so Tokui thought.

The Mist-nin narrowed his eyes; where had that damn brat gone? One moment, he was fifty meters away, and the next, he had disappeared. Just like that. But it wasn't possible; he had given out enough killing intent to stop Genin much older than this Uchiha. There was no way the boy could have so easily shrugged out of it, which meant that he should still be right there, only suppressing his energy in the hopes of breaking its hold—

The thought of the older Mist-nin went uncompleted when a rain of kunai bore down upon him out of nowhere. He reacted immediately out of pure instinct, abruptly releasing the Kirigakure no jutsu and substituting himself with the nearest object he could see with a quick Kawarimi.

Damn it; that Uchiha was a lot better than he had thought! How had he managed to get so near without even briefly flaring his intent?!! Not to mention, how had the kid broken out of his Kanashibari so easily? The Mist-nin cursed under his breath as a swift, flying kick greeted him even before his body replacement technique was fully completed, and realized that he had just been caught in a trap of his own making.

The Leaf-nin had anticipated his reaction, read him before he could even make his move, and had been waiting for him, neatly turning his little ambush back against him.

All without the use of the Sharingan.

Tokui was unable to completely avoid the oncoming collision, and had no choice but to take the chakra-enhanced hit right across the face. The Kiri-nin was tossed back a few feet by the heavy impact, his head snapping to the side as he hit the floor harshly, the air knocked out of him, together with a few pieces of teeth. Anger filled his being as the sharp tang of blood exploded in his mouth and dribbled down his chin; the brat had drawn first blood!! He forced himself to recover quickly, rolling to his feet just in time to block another kick as the young, expressionless Uchiha landed soundlessly on his feet and homed in swiftly on his target.

With an agility that was clearly incongruent with his hulking size, the older Genin snapped out suddenly and managed to grab hold of the boy's ankle in an effort to throw him off balance, twisting viciously with the intention of breaking bone. The raven-haired preteen seemed to instinctively understand what was about to happen and tried to twist free from the other's grasp but to no avail. The Seiryoku was a physically strong brute, and he had an immovable hold on his prey. A fierce smirk crossed the Mist-nin's face as he started to apply brutal pressure, and in a last ditch effort to minimize the damage, the Uchiha took to the air and turned his lithe torso sharply in momentum with his opponent's attack, using the abrupt force to bring the heel of his other foot crashing heavily down upon the other nin's shoulder even as the loud, sickening 'pop' of dislocation echoed through the arena.

Despite the throbbing pain of his bruised shoulder, Tokui smiled savagely as he let go of the now injured boy. With a dislocated foot, there was just no way that his opponent would be able to fight effectively now, genius or not—

The same injured foot promptly smashed into the side of the Kiri-nin's face in a matter of mere seconds, with a force large enough to break his nose, dislocate his jaw, _and_ throw the stunned Genin a few feet backwards. Blood spurted out from Tokui's face and he roared in a pained fury, landing on his back with a loud thump a few meters away from the panting Uchiha as he cradled his lower face.

To his credit, the ten year old had made no sound to indicate his physical distress as he landed on the ground in a crouch, unlike his howling counterpart. He placed most of his weight on his good leg even as agony shot up his leg from his dislocated ankle. His stoic face had gone bone white from the pain, though, but his dark, burning eyes were still fixed intently on his enemy. The retaliating injury that he had meted out to the Kiri-nin would buy him some precious time to deal with his own dislocation, although made worse by the powerful, violent kick that he had used to temporarily disable the other Genin.

There was an imperceptible tightening of his jaw as he quickly aligned his twisted ankle against his other foot, inwardly relieved that he had suffered no fracture. Augmenting his injury with precious chakra, he prepared himself for the oncoming pain and brutally forced the joint back into place, a sharp crack that seemed to agree with the pain that turned his vision white for a brief moment. The pokerfaced Uchiha paused for a brief moment to regain his composure, and stood up quickly as he faced his opponent once more, giving no further thought to the now bearable throbbing of his ankle.

The other Genin glared hatefully at him as he, too, used brute force to realign his jaw back in place. Tokui bared his teeth at the pain and snarled at the younger boy, no longer playing. The bloodlust in the air returned twofold, and now that there was no mist hiding Itachi's reaction from sight, the Mist-nin quickly realized that he had made a mistake when he had used his killing intent on the other boy.

The Uchiha was hardly affected by it, and had resumed watching his opponent with his sharp, observant gaze. Strangely enough, the famed Sharingan was still nowhere in sight, and Tokui was beginning to suspect that perhaps the boy did not have enough chakra to sustain his kekkei genkai. He was still a child after all, and no doubt his energy reserves were small and must be very low right now, especially after the two matches prior. For that, Tokui decided that it was safe to use ninjutsu. Besides, the enemy was injured and incapacitated and he was willing to take the gamble that his next technique would be able to defeat the younger boy. He started to flash through a long series of hand seals, pouring all of his remaining chakra into the jutsu, slamming his hand to the ground at the climax and yelling out, "Doton: Ganchusho!!!!"

Immediately, the ground rumbled and shook, and large rock pillars shot up, some heavily spiked, others huge and clubbed. With an unspoken command from the Kiri-nin, the rock formations undulated like gigantic serpents and headed straight for Itachi.

The raven-haired Genin watched, outwardly unperturbed as the lethal pillars rushed at him. At the very last moment though, he bound into the air and affixed himself to the head of one of the pillars with a thin, exact film of chakra, and then started to run swiftly down the length of the stone column, right towards his adversary. The resulting pain from his strained ankle was ignored, and the youth moved purposefully amongst the deadly rock formations aiming for him, weaving and ducking and leaping across the pillars with unerring accuracy as he headed straight for Tokui. The Uchiha's mastery over his body movements was nothing short of amazing. He escaped the thick, twisting columns with deceptive ease, his every action executed with simple precision and practical efficiency, no theatrics, no elaborate gestures, just pure function and reaction that still somehow appeared dangerously graceful and choreographed.

Lethal.

This was not how a normal ten year old should move, but then again, Uchiha Itachi had never been a normal child by any standard.

The young, blank-faced _tensai_ went after his opponent with single minded determination, and Tokui's eyes widened slightly when it finally registered to him that his secret ace was not working on the Uchiha heir, just like about every other thing that he had thrown at him. All his best moves were being shrugged off by this child nearly six years his junior, and Tokui burned with sheer, impotent rage and humiliation. He forced more chakra into the jutsu, and even though the huge rock formations became bigger and faster, it was as if Itachi was simply untouchable. Despite his handicap, he was still moving with swift fluidity—_how on earth was he doing that with an injured leg_?

The younger Leaf-nin was approaching at an alarming speed, and Tokui had learned from earlier, _painful_ experience not to let the boy too near. The latter was smaller, and therefore had the advantage of being extremely quick and agile in armed combat, and Tokui knew that all the brute force in the world would not matter if he could not land a hit on his slippery target. The Mist-nin had also made the mistake of showing the young prodigy a measure of his top speed when he had managed to grab hold of the boy earlier and yet failed to end the fight there and then, and he was certain that the Uchiha would not give him the chance to catch hold of him unaware again.

Tokui had gravely underestimated Uchiha Itachi and was now paying severely for it. Even without the Sharingan, the kid was still highly dangerous as heck, proving without a doubt that he had not relied on his powerful bloodline limit to build his impressive reputation.

_Just what the hell were these crazy Leaf clans doing to their children to make them so powerful at such a young age?!_

Left with no choice, Tokui forced out a thick pillar from the ground in front of him and sent it slamming towards the younger Genin in the hopes of misleading the Uchiha. He performed a quick shunshin to a safer distance simultaneously, and cursed when the distraction failed. Unperturbed, his attacker merely dodged out of the way and shifted his stance without a pause, heading towards the older Genin's new position a few hundred feet away. Tokui scowled and pulled out a handful of shuriken, hurling them at the boy who moved like quicksilver. The razor-sharp throwing stars were quickly deflected by a kunai that materialized almost magically in the Uchiha's hand, and in sheer desperation, the Kiri-nin released his chakra-eating jutsu and formed a new one, this time calling upon a modified version of the Doryuuheki to protect himself. The ground around him liquefied to mud as they sprang up to form a ball-like barrier all around him, before hardening just as quickly.

The young raven-haired Leaf-nin did not wait for his adversary to execute whatever offensive he was planning from behind the enclosed ball of earth. Using ninjutsu for the first time since the match had began, his hands were flashing rapidly through hand seals even before Tokui's defensive walls were properly erected in place, and the latter would not know that he had made the mistake of assuming that Uchiha Itachi had run out of chakra until it was too late.

It was true that the young _tensai_ was not physically matured enough to develop a sizeable chakra reserve, but what the boy lacked in sheer volume, he made up for in spades with his incredible chakra control, and as such, was able to utilize jutsu to such degree of effectiveness that little to no chakra was wasted in the process, thus greatly improving his efficiency.

As such, there was no abrupt flare of energy, no telling shift of chakra whatsoever, when the Great Fireball abruptly ignited to life with a large roar, growing to massive proportions as the young Uchiha continued to breathe life into the huge Goukakyuu, before finally allowing the mass of scorching flames to travel towards his hidden opponent and hungrily engulf the mud sphere. For a brief second or so, nothing happened.

Then, a loud, agonized scream cut through from within the earthen orb. The rapidly heated, supercharged air trapped within the bubble of mud was all but cooking the nin stuck within it, and the man was being _baked alive_. With nowhere else to go, the pressurized air kept expanding until the ball of hardened, superheated mud simply came apart in a loud explosion, raining huge chunks of earth and sand all over the arena even as the Kiri-nin was unceremoniously spat out and propelled to slam headlong against the nearest wall of the dome.

Seiryoku Tokui crumpled onto the ground without a sound, and the horrific third degree burns that blackened his exposed face and skin told all who was watching this match just what the outcome would be. The older Genin was still clinging to consciousness—but barely, and the youth who had thoroughly defeated him with nothing but a common C-ranked ninjutsu approached him quickly, and without hesitation, brought out a kunai and pressed it against his opponent's jugular.

"Yield."

For the first time since the match had began, the Uchiha heir spoke, his voice as cold and empty as his face, whose emotionless expression had not changed at all. There was no sense of triumph or victory in that blank gaze, no excitement or sense of smug pride in his detached tone, and for the first time in his life, Seiryoki Tokui felt pure fear.

This boy was clearly not normal; it was as if he lacked emotions, was deadened, and had the most horrifying potential to become a ruthless killing machine.

_Monster_.

If Uchiha Itachi saw the sudden unspeakable terror, _awareness,_ that was reflected in the gurgling Genin's eyes, he showed no sign of it. He withdrew his kunai when the badly injured Tokui gave a quick, frantic nod, stepped away and waited patiently for the Jounin referee to call the match.

"Seiryoku Tokui is unable to continue!! Winner of this match: Uchiha Itachi!!"

* * *

The aftermath of the Chuunin exams was more or less predictable. The Hokage came down to the arena to give a small speech heralding the end of the examinations, praising the participants who had managed to make it this far, and after explaining the criteria that they had been looking for amongst the individual combatants, the Sandaime started to announce the names of those who had earned the title of Chuunin.

Only four out of the initial one hundred and twenty six Genin who had participated in the exams were called out, and not many were surprised when Uchiha Itachi was amongst one of them. He was the youngest and also the brightest, and he had done his clan great pride when he walked up to the Third and accepted the Chuunin vest. None in his family had achieved such an honor before at his age, and not surprisingly, the House of the Uchiha looked on with delight when their Fire Daimyo came and praised their heir for his quick thinking and brilliant use of simple techniques to such marvelous effectiveness.

Five year old Uchiha Sasuke fidgeted impatiently by his mother's side as he watched his ani with awe in his childish eyes. He had wanted to run down to his Itachi-nii the moment he saw his brother win the match, but his Okaa-sama had held on tightly to his hand and refused to let him go, and the little raven-haired boy had pouted and sulked for a bit before quieting reluctantly when his father frowned at him. Still, he continued to glue his sight on his brother with excited eyes; Nii-san was awesome!! The other nin had used such dangerous jutsu but his older brother had faced them alone with nothing more than his speed and a kunai blade! Sasuke really could not wait to express his admiration for his powerful sibling, just as he could not wait for his Nii-san to train him so that he could become just as strong!!

Fortunately, Otou-sama finally decided to vacate the family box at last, and headed down the stadium steps in a stoic, dignified manner befitting his status as the Uchiha clan head. Okaa-sama stood up as well and the youngest son of both clan heads all but leapt eagerly to his feet, though the excitable child was prevented from rushing off ahead of his Father by his Mother's firm grip, and in an orderly manner, the rest of the small, well-dressed Uchiha entourage followed their leader at a sedate pace.

The stern, noble facade of Uchiha Fugaku softened slightly with approval when he met the eyes of his eldest son, who now held a Chuunin vest in his hand.

"Well done, Itachi," he intoned richly. "You have made us all very proud today, my boy."

The newly minted Chuunin bowed slightly towards his Father in greeting, and then, proceeded to do the same for his Mother.

"Itachi, you should get your injury looked at by a medic," the beautiful Lady Uchiha commented serenely. "Are you hurt anywhere else, son?"

The Uchiha heir shook his head in response to that mild tinge of concern in his parent's eyes. "No, Okaa-sama," he replied dutifully. The usual spar-related bruises and damage were insignificant and there was no need to bring any attention to them. "I will make a visit to the infirmary later."

His little brother, who could no longer tolerate the boring series of formal etiquette, burst out impatiently. "Nii-san, train me!" the young boy demanded petulantly, incurring a small frown from his sire, which the youngster tried his best to pretend not to see. "You beat that Mist-nin so easily; I want to be just like you when I grow up!"

Itachi flinched inwardly at Sasuke's jubilant announcement. His outward expression did not change, though, and he stared at the small, pale face, so much like his, looking up at him with such worshipful adulation. It was apparent that Sasuke had no idea what he was talking about, and Itachi slowly crouched down before his exuberant little brother.

Little Sasuke, who was so full of life and mischief, who was the very best of both of their parents.

Itachi silently wished that his younger brother would never have to live a life like his.

The raven-haired Chuunin looked upon the wide-eyed, still-innocent face of his younger brother, and at last gave the squirming boy a small, almost sad smile.

"Sasuke should just be Sasuke."

* * *

Meanwhile, in another part of the large Village of the Hidden Leaf, a precocious little girl was kept busy berating her mischievous pet for not following instructions.

"Itachi-chan, stop wriggling!" Sakura chided as she tried her best to build a luxurious sandcastle around her pet. "You are flinging all the sand around!!"

Unfortunately for her, that was the young weasel's exact purpose. It was more intent on searching for a comfortable sunning spot amongst the piles of lumpy sand that its mistress had been digging up, and whatever grainy architecture the pink-haired girl child had painstakingly erected, her pet was more than happy to demolish it for her, especially since her pails of upturned sand were blocking the rays of lazy afternoon sun that it was trying to catch.

At last, the exasperated girl flung up her hands, spraying small bits of sand all over herself, and on the rich black pelt of her pet weasel, as well.

"I can't build a house for you if you are like this—acck!! 'Tachi-chaaaaan!!!!"

Sakura squealed when Itachi-chan did a full-body shake and expelled all the grains of sand from his body, incidentally transferring most of them onto his slightly miffed owner. He did a belly flop then, lying out in the spot that he had finally patted flat with his tiny little clawed paws, and stretched out to his full length of ten inches beside Sakura. Limp and relaxed, it looked like a living mink rug with its small limbs and tail fully extended as far as they could go, and he turned to give the exasperated little girl a blink or two of utter boredom, before laying its head down and going right to sleep.

It was apparent that the baby weasel was in no mood to play, and Sakura sighed. The playground was empty today, even Ino-chan was not there. Her blonde friend had excitedly mentioned that her parents were bringing her to watch some nin competition called the Chuunin Exam, and would not be visiting the park today. Sakura would have wanted to tag along too, but Kaa-san had adamantly refused to allow her young, impressionable daughter to watch such 'bloody, violent' sport, whatever that meant.

And so Sakura was left all alone today, and even the park seemed empty and quiet.

The pink-haired child sighed again, and stuck her finger into the sand, drawing random patterns that made no sense whatsoever. At last, she got bored with what she was doing and reached over for her small, battered looking backpack instead, dragging it nearer and digging for the book that she had brought along with her today. Placing the worn, dearly beloved book on her lap, she opened it and began to read. Sakura had only started to learn the concept of reading and writing about a year and a half ago, but she had been a surprisingly fast learner and she loved to learn. A child genius in her own way, she was unusually quick on the uptake when it came to devouring knowledge from books, and she simply loved to read.

The little girl immersed herself in the many stories, sitting in the deserted sandbox with her dozing pet weasel beside her as warm, dappled rays of sunlight filtered through the thick tree branches that sheltered them from above.

It was peaceful.

* * *

Half an hour later, Uchiha Itachi walked into the empty park, as always, on his way to the training grounds.

The Exams were only barely over, maybe by two hours, but already, the young Uchiha heir had struck out for his private sanctuary the very moment he could, allowing the medic-nin to tend briefly to his ankle before swiftly leaving the stadium. His family had left before him; his clan would hold an extravagant celebration this day but he wanted little to do with it. Returning home now would merely mean that he would have to tolerate the suffocating, simpering presence of his fellow kinfolk as they trampled all over themselves to congratulate him on his latest achievements, loudly singing his praises and capabilities as their esteemed and prodigious clan heir, and then just as quickly, turning around behind his back and whispering stories about how _terrifyingly capable_ he was becoming as such a young age.

Then, there were the clan elders, the pressure and unceasing demands they made wearying and stressful. These old men and women controlled the clan with their tight, wizened fists, and were the ones to plan every single aspect of his life, just like they had his Father before him. Slowly but surely, they worked to erode away any unwanted sentiments of autonomy and defiance with cold blooded patience, seeking to bind him completely to the clan, breaking him in and training him to be subserviently willing to serve their every whim, no questions asked. And now, even though he had gone beyond their expectations and gained the Chuunin rank, Itachi knew that they were going to be demanding more out of him.

_For the good of the clan, Itachi, you must… _

_You must._

It was always for the good of the clan.

The ten year old's pale face tightened, looking almost strained even as he struggled inwardly to regain his outwardly composed features. Sometimes, he almost wished that he could get away from his family for just a little while, but the traitorous thought had always appalled him enough to immediately abandon that line of thinking. It was frustrating at times, and slightly bitter, and the youth wondered bleakly just where that feeling of euphoria and accomplishment that he should be feeling was, on this day, when he had reached an important milestone in his life.

A small hand touched his cautiously then, jolting him abruptly from his thoughts. It took all of his control and split second judgment not to retaliate instinctively, not to lock his fingers around that fragile wrist with the speed of a striking viper, use it as leverage to flip and slam the perpetrator to the ground and twist her arm painfully behind her shoulder before grinding his knee into her back in a brutal subduing fashion.

He stiffened slightly though, and automatically, his face schooled into a blank canvas. Had he been so consumed by his own thoughts that he had failed to detect the presence of another? Itachi looked down sharply, and then, his tensed demeanor relaxed imperceptibly when he saw the familiar mop of flyaway pink hair, the large, innocent green eyes that peered up curiously at him.

So that was why his well honed instincts had not alerted him to the breach of his privacy, and the young heir was hardly perturbed. He had been silently watching over her on and off for the past few months, after all, and almost always in this little park that she seemed partial to. Used to his brief, silent surveillance of the little girl child, it was no surprise that his senses had automatically registered her presence without need to alert him; she was his curiosity, but it was clear that she posed him no harm whatsoever.

This was the first time little Haruno Sakura had seen him since her little nighttime jaunt in the woods nearly a year ago, and he was almost certain that she wouldn't recognize him. He had made perfectly sure to keep his strange interest in her a secret, made sure that she never noticed him in her vicinity in the rare handful of times that he had passed by this playground en route to his training ground, pausing only briefly to check up on her, to gauge her growth even though he wasn't quite sure himself what exactly he was searching for. This pink-haired child who was more than she appeared to be was his hobby of sorts, one of the rare, little oddities that he had allowed himself to have amongst the usual routine of strict clan life, duties, and rigorous training.

Watching the little civilian girl live through her childhood in a normal, happy manner, even if only for short minutes at most and between biweekly intervals _at least_, served to bring a small smudge of color into the raven-haired youth's otherwise dull existence. It certainly wasn't in the lengthy schedule that the elders had ordered him to follow religiously; this was something that he had decided to do on his own and in a strange manner, it gave him a small sense of perverse satisfaction and contentment to be able to watch over her.

_At least in this, he had a choice. _

"Nin-san?" her small, childish voice called out then, bringing his attention back to her.

It was not his intention to reveal himself to this child who had been his excuse to experience a somewhat more normal life. He had not expected for her to be here; the period of the Chuunin Exams had always been treated like a national holiday, a festival of sorts, and he had assumed that she would have been enjoying the festivities with her parents, not left all alone here in an empty park. He had been travelling on ground; the medic had warned specifically for him not to aggravate his ankle if he wanted it to heal properly, which restricted his mode of travel to a normal walking speed. Running into her was an oversight he had neglected to consider, but it was of no particular consequence to him, and so, he decided to wait to see what the little girl wanted.

Five year old Sakura clasped her hands behind her back and watched the older raven-haired boy currently staring at her blankly. He was the first person she had seen in this small, quiet park today, and even if he did not believe it, she clearly recognized him. He did not look like he shared her memory, though, and the happy, excited gleam in her eyes dimmed slightly with disappointment.

"Anou…do you…remember me, nin-san?" she asked a tad forlornly, looking at the ground in a slightly dejected manner, almost as if preparing herself for his rejection. He had been nice to her that time when he had saved her pet and herself, and Sakura had always remembered kindness, especially when it was given to her.

And so she had remembered this older boy.

She had remembered the color of his hair, the shape of his face clearly; her photographic memory ensured that she had imprinted the special events of that evening firmly in her young, impressionable mind. She had been fast asleep by the time he delivered her into the grateful arms of her mother, and even though she hadn't seen him then, she still remembered him clearly despite all that because he had left such a lasting impression on her.

Besides, he was the only person she knew who shared the same name with her Itachi-chan.

"You saved me and Itachi-chan before, remember now?" she continued hesitantly, almost shyly.

He looked at her impassively, not revealing his thoughts whatsoever. She was being uncertain and almost timid now, nothing like that fierce, utterly furious entity that he had witnessed a few months back. He saw that her precious red ribbon was tied neatly in place on the top of her head, her fringe parted to reveal the forehead that she had been so often teased for in the past. She possessed a bit of confidence now, it seemed, and had chosen not to hide from the bullies who used to torment her about her looks.

At last, he spoke.

"Aa, I remember."

Almost immediately, her gloominess cleared, replaced by a brilliant smile as she beamed at him with pure, childish pleasure. _He remembered her!!_

Itachi was inwardly startled by how his simple admission could make her so happy, though before he could ponder more about her reaction, she caught sight of his feet and sobered quickly, a growing furrow between her brows. She pointed at his bandaged ankle.

"Are you hurt, Itachi-kun?" she asked innocently, addressing him by name, looking up to him with guileless eyes.

He nodded once, wordlessly, watching her as she tipped her head slightly to the side and considered his injury with a tiny frown marring her small, elfin face. A slight movement from behind her alerted him to the presence of her small, furry pet that clambered out from the sandbox with little difficulty and approached his mistress in a rapid blur of black. Sakura didn't react when the now larger forest critter streaked up her leg and proceeded to make its way up to perch on her shoulder. His namesake then sat on his hind legs in an impressive show of balance on his young owner's slender shoulder, nonchalantly using its forepaws to daintily clean its face and whiskers as it groomed itself after a lazy afternoon nap.

The weasel did not seem threatened at all by the raven-haired Uchiha, judging by the way it was relaxed and going about its own business without a care in the world. Had Sakura been trained to be more observant, she would have wondered why her normally wary pet was behaving in such a relaxed manner around the young Chuunin.

"Did you fall down?" Sakura asked at last, drawing his focus back to her. She gave him an understanding grimace before he could answer her. "I fell and hurt my knee once, too. There was a lot of blood and I cried," the little girl admitted honestly. "It was painful, so you must be in pain too, right?"

He didn't know how to reply her.

No one had ever asked him this question before, for as long as he could remember. The fact that this little girl had enquired about the state of his health first and foremost, paying no heed to his position or his results from the Chuunin exams, stunned him in a way that caused him to freeze up quickly, not sure how to react. It didn't matter that she was probably too young to understand, or perhaps, she was not aware that he had been involved in the competition, but against all odds, her innocent question had touched him on an instinctual level.

He stared at her, but she didn't seem to register his intent regard, didn't seem to understand how her simple question borne from concern had affected him in a way that none had accomplished before.

In pain?_ Him? _

He was but a mere tool to be used for his country, his village, his clan. Pain was not a concern to him; he was supposed to be above it, just like he was supposed to feel for nothing other than his duty, his training, his clan.

But he had already broken that rule; the fact that he was so irrationally fixated on this young girl child had proven in spades that he was not as emotionless as the elders had wanted him to be, _and somehow, that pleased him_.

His dark, remote onyx gaze warmed imperceptibly.

"It is…inconvenient," he admitted quietly, gently, to Sakura. "But I will heal in time."

_I will become stronger. I always do. _

She looked confused, adorably so. Her Itachi-chan quieted and watched the Uchiha heir with inhumanly intelligent, black button eyes. "Inconvenient?" she echoed unsurely, and he was reminded that this strangely astute, empathetic girl was still but a little child.

He nodded slightly. "It is a bit difficult for me to move about right now," he explained with patience, watching as understanding lit up her expressive eyes. "I will get better soon."

Itachi turned then, and moved a few paces away to the park bench facing the play area. Despite his young age, he sat down with a quiet, unconscious poise, his advanced training in stealth evident in the way he moved with lithe, soundless efficiency. Sakura followed his example, ever the inquisitive child, only too glad that she now had someone to talk to, even if for a little bit.

"Why are you alone?" the raven-haired youth asked quietly. It was something that he had never had the chance to find out before, but now he was becoming just a bit more curious about her, and he wanted to know why she always seemed to be in this little park all by herself, without the careful supervision of a parent or guardian. She was the same age as Sasuke, still so little, and he couldn't imagine why a young, defenseless civilian child such as her would be left unwatched for long periods of time.

Sakura shrugged unconcernedly, playful swinging her short, dangling legs to and fro in the air as she sat on the bench beside Itachi. Her pet weasel protested her rough motions in a ruffled chitter; she was unsettling him, and at last, she stopped.

"Kaa-san has to work, so Sakura-chan has to be a good girl and stay here in the playground," the bubbly pink-haired little girl recited cheerfully. "Sakura-chan cannot leave the park with anybody, cannot talk to strangers and must wait here until Kaa-san comes back."

She looked at him with pure trust in her deep green eyes. "You are not a stranger."

Itachi stilled, his gaze leveling on the precocious, seemingly carefree child. At last, he nodded slightly in agreement, she had no idea how right she was; he would never, ever be a stranger to her now.

The boy hesitated slightly, his curiosity waging a brief war with his natural inclination to keep to himself, before he questioned again. "…when will your Kaa-san come back for you?"

"Erm…" Sakura looked briefly at the cloudy late afternoon skies above, before returning her clear, innocent verdant gaze to the Uchiha heir. "Kaa-san always comes back before it becomes too dark," she told him, looking a bit more seriously than before.

Her sentence was telling—and the implications disquieting. Itachi quickly found himself paying close attention to the little girl. "Are you here every day?" he probed carefully. "Alone?"

Something flitted past her large, doe-like eyes then, as she briefly studied him in perfect silence, something startlingly wise and matured for one her age, and he wondered inwardly what she was thinking. The moment passed as quickly as it had come though, and she nodded at last.

"I'm not always alone," she told him in her sweet, young voice. "Most of the time, I have friends here. Itachi-chan is here too." She reached up and petted her little weasel affectionately. "I'm never alone," she told him determinedly, and in that very instant, he saw again in her that same flare of fierce courage he had witnessed during her desperate fight against her two bullies those months ago.

It was gone just as quickly, hidden by that shy, tentative smile of hers.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and before he could speak, she hopped down the bench abruptly and ran back towards the sandbox, her startled pet hanging on to her neck for dear life. She stooped slightly to pick up a worn backpack that had seen better times and an open book, before turning and trotting back to him. She placed her belongings beside the foot of the bench neatly and climbed up to sit beside him again, proudly showing him her precious book.

"Look, look; I have brought a book to read. This is my favorite," Sakura told him earnestly, happy to have someone here to share a bit of her joy, blatantly invading his personal bubble as she reached over and reverently placed the beloved, dog-eared volume on his lap. She didn't move away after that, sitting so very closely to this boy she clearly trusted, her small shoulder brushing against his upper arm and her skinny leg pressed against the side of his thigh, and surprisingly enough, he did not react adversely to her familiarity. She was only a child, after all, and had no idea of proper etiquette and decorum.

Not to mention, he didn't seem to mind her proximity very much; her presence was certainly tolerable when compared to that of some of his obnoxious clan members.

Obligingly, the preteen looked at the book, half expecting to see a colorful, children's picture story, only that it wasn't. He read the title twice just to be sure, and surprised, finally took up the book and started to rifle curiously through the pages. Long strings of words in small print met his eyes, filled page after page after page, occasionally interspersed with pictures of what was clearly their village.

He turned her expectant gaze in surprise. Her favorite book was a history text of Konoha? He could tell by brief inspection that the volume in his hands was clearly meant for academic, educational purposes, not exactly leisure reading material, and certainly not meant for children her age.

Not that he was one who could be allowed to make such observation, since he himself had been reading manuscripts and tomes even more complex and much thicker than this one at her age. Of course, he hadn't known then that it wasn't normal for him to comprehend advanced levels of chakra theory and jutsu deconstruction with such ease, and it was only when he had joined his Genin team, been around children his age, that he had realized that he was different.

And different wasn't always the best.

"You understand the contents within this book?" he asked in a tone slightly sharper than he had intended. She did not take offense, though, and nodded slowly.

"A bit," she told him hesitantly, looking almost ashamed. "Because there are some words that I don't know how to read." She paused, and then burst out shyly. "My favorite part is when Yondaime-sama protected the village by slaying Kyuubi."

She was being perfectly honest with him, not boastful of her accomplishment, instead trying in her own way to please him, to share her small piece of her happiness with him, almost as if somehow aware of his own turbulent, bitter feelings, and it worked. Her complete lack of guile and subterfuge made him relax even more around her. There was no need to wonder cautiously about any dangerous hidden meanings or deception here, in this empty little park with this sweet-faced girl child with the delicate elfin features and soft pink hair.

"Why this book?" he asked, genuinely curious.

The light in her deep emerald eyes dimmed slightly. "Kaa-san says that Tou-san bought this book for me when I was only a baby. It's my one and only present from Tou-san, and so it's my favorite."

Her reply was telling, and it implied to him that her father was most likely no longer in her life; either missing or deceased. It also explained why she was so determined to read the book even when she admitted to not understanding some of the words in it. Judging by the worn quality of the paper, it was not difficult to picture a small, little pink-haired child carefully poring over the pages of the treasured book. Silently, he returned the dog-eared volume back to her, and she took it and hugged it tightly to her chest, a small sigh escaping her cherubic lips.

There was a long silence, one that was not awkward or strained, something that the Uchiha heir was thankful for. It was soothing, and Itachi was mildly startled to realize that he had not thought much of his clan since meeting little Sakura today. It was a small blessing; he didn't think that he would be able to stomach tonight's celebrations with the upper echelons of the clan if his resentment and frustration had continued to brew over like it had earlier. Idly, the boy contemplated just what it was about this five year old child that drew his reluctant attention to her, that calmed his troubled mind and turbulent thoughts.

He came up blank; there was no explanation really, just an innate feeling that led him to watch over her every time he was able. The young Uchiha did not know whether to be disturbed by his own irrational interest in little Sakura; her behavior was matured for her age, she was certainly smart, and small as she was, she possessed a fire within her that made even him stare with quiet admiration whenever she chose to use it. She was a foreign paradox to him, and perhaps that was why he was so curious about her. Instincts told him that she would only become more fascinating as she grew older, and maybe that's why he was always watching her.

Itachi glanced briefly at the sky. The position of the late noon sun told him of the time that had passed since he had come across Sakura and had spoke to her, and inwardly, the rational part of his mind reminded him that he should leave now, that precious time was wasting that he could use for further training.

He made no move to do so, and beside him, Sakura shifted slightly and turned to look at him.

"Itachi-kun, can you…help me with some of the words that I don't know?" she asked shyly, placing the book carefully on her own lap and turning the pages slowly, coming to the chapter on the Nidaime and his famous suiton jutsu.

The Uchiha heir looked at the pink-haired little girl, but said nothing to deny her polite request. Unlike his petulant little brother, as amusing as his spoilt little antics were at times, Sakura was well-mannered and eager, and obligingly, he lowered his gaze to the text that she was looking at, and when she did nothing for a minute or so, he turned his attention to her with a small tilt of his head.

"You must read if you want me to correct you."

Sakura beamed happily at her new friend, and then bent her head over her book and began to read. She started out slowly and haltingly at first, but then gained more confidence when her hard earned knowledge took over. If he was surprised by the level of her fluency, he did not show it. When it came to the words that she did not understand, she would stop and look to him for help, upon which he would calmly pronounce the correct phonetic and explain its definition, exactly word for word as if reading from a dictionary.

She didn't stare at him like he was a freak of nature though, merely listened keenly to whatever knowledge he thought to impart to her, asking small questions here and there, looking at him with childish awe and admiration as he easily provided meanings and answers to previously unknown words that she had struggled so hard with. It was a novel experience for Itachi—to be needed and appreciated with a genuine lack of further motives or hidden intention. She wasn't a difficult student to teach; quick on the uptake and eager to learn. She didn't fidget about or appear bored by his lesson, and he had no trouble tutoring her in the intermediate levels of Japanese grammar and vocabulary.

Time flew by quickly, and before long, the skies started to darken; the sun sank slowly into the horizon and the warm summer temperature started to dip. The little girl slipped her book shut at last, for the first time having gone through an entire chapter without once having to give up halfway. She was elated, though mentally exhausted from all her learning. She slumped against the back of the park bench and heaved an accomplished, happy sigh.

She remembered her manners though, and turned her head to Itachi to give him a smile. "Thank you, Itachi-sensei!" she chirruped gratefully, and he gave her a cursory stare at the suffix she had attached to his name. "I learned a lot today, and I won't forget what you told me earlier, I promise!"

She was so very earnest, seeming to exude an inner glow and such happiness just from the small bit of attention that he had given to her, and it was difficult to remain unaffected by her pure, genuine feelings.

He nodded slightly in response to her gratitude, and then looked around him briefly. The park was surprisingly deserted today, and at the moment, it was completely empty except for himself and the little pink-haired girl sitting beside him. The hours had passed quickly, and Itachi gauged that the celebrations his clan was holding was about to start soon. He would have to leave now if he wanted to attend the compulsory event in time, but he hesitated, looking once more at the child beside him.

"When is your mother coming to fetch you?"

Sakura gave a little shrug. "Soon, I guess." She did not seemed bothered by the way night was beginning to blanket the lands, and that quickly explained why she seemed to exhibit no fear when he had found her in the middle of the forests nearly a year ago.

She busied herself by keeping her book in her bag, and dug out a small box of juice and a packet of biscuits, which she proceeded to tear open and offer to the raven-haired Uchiha. The boy politely refused the treat, and Itachi-chan stirred awake at the familiar sound of crinkling wrapper, quickly unfurling itself from around his mistress' neck and scampering downwards in a quick streak of black to await his share of the food on her lap.

Sakura giggled and made sure to give her pet a small piece first before getting some for herself, and Itachi observed as she cheerfully teased the little mustelid with another piece of food until the irritable creature gave her a small, punishing nip on her finger and proceeded to snatch the biscuit away. The bite did not break skin, though, and Sakura's childish amusement told him that she was used to her pet's antics.

She noticed him watching her then, and promptly shoved the packet of biscuits in his face. "Are you sure you don't want any?" she asked innocently, and he shook his head, drawing back slightly. She looked at him inquisitively.

"Are you going to wait too?"

He did not answer for the longest time, and when he did, there was the strangest expression on his face.

"Yes, I will wait."

_

* * *

_

::tsuzuku::

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

The reason why Itachi did not use his Sharingan in the fight is simple; there was no need. CP-verse Itachi does not rely overly on his kekkei genkai; in fact, I really believe that it was the same for canon-verse Itachi as well, which explains why he was such a formidable nin even at a young age. He utilizes a precise amount of energy just to defeat his opponents, nothing more, nothing less. In this case, bringing out the Sharingan for no reason other than to wow the crowds would be overkill, especially when he had the situation in hand. There's no need to whip out the clan's bloodline limit every few seconds just to show that he could, unlike a certain Uchiha frère we all know and love/hate.

The manifestation of the Sharingan is not a measure of skill, after all.

Besides, Itachi is only ten years old in this chapter. His chakra reserves are likely not as large as his opponent's yet, and thus, there's a need to conserve energy whenever he can. That's not to say that he has run out of chakra in the final match, just that he saw no need to expend his energy unnecessarily.

By the way, Seiryoku Tokui is a figment of my imagination. He is my OC, created especially for 'cabbage patch,' and you just might see him again in future installments.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I know that a dislocated ankle is not as easy to correct as say, a dislocated shoulder. That's because the ankle joint is inherently stable and a really large force is needed to cause the dislocation, hence the latter is rarely seen without an associated fracture. I had assumed that Itachi had somehow managed to escape the fracture, which was why it was relatively simple for him to force the joint back in place. As for the rest of the match, he had simply augmented precise amounts of chakra to his ankle to minimize the risk of worsening his injury, which was why he could still move about relatively unhindered. It still hurts, of course, but not as intensely as before, and the rest is purely a matter of mind over body.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I hope Itachi doesn't come off as creepy with regards to his fascination in Sakura. No, he is not stalking her. He looks in on her only whenever he chances upon her, and does not purposely seeks her out. He is also not madly in love with her either, for heaven's sake. At the moment, she is just his curiosity, someone whom he is interested to watch over and wait to see how she will grow. He is clearly protective of her now, without consciously understanding the reason behind his own reactions. That's all for now, though.

I think he's too young to contemplate any other sort of affection for her at the moment, so the rest will come later, when they are older.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

As for Sakura, I'm aware that little five-year olds are normally not mentally developed enough to start reading history texts, of all things. But do keep in mind that canon-verse Sakura has always been exceptionally intelligent, especially when it comes to assimilating knowledge from books. At the same time, although her five-year old self have taught herself to read, she's still unable to fully comprehend everything within the book, so for those who are about to complain about an unrealistic, super-genius Sakura, please don't.

Sakura's not that much of a genius, to be honest, just blessed with above average intelligence, as well as the love for learning.

At the same time, the level of her maturity in 'cabbage patch' has been deliberately raised as well. Considering her family background, a deceased father and a mother desperately working to support herself and her young daughter, you will find that little Sakura is a bit wiser and possesses a more matured mindset when compared to other children her age. I believe that environment has a role in shaping the characteristics of an individual; just like Itachi is being molded by the ideals of his clan, Sakura will be defined by her personal experiences as they happened around her.

I hope this explains a bit about Sakura's character in CP.

For anything else, we will just wait and see where this brings us, eh?

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

--paws


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** cabbage patch

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/General/Humor

**Word Count:** 9833

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #23, cabbage patch

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Non-massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.

**Created on:** 30/06/09

**Completed on:** 08/07/09

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 11/07/09

**

* * *

**

Chapter Four

* * *

A few days later marked the very first time Haruno Sakura met Uzumaki Naruto.

The small, golden-haired boy had the most beautiful, soulful blue eyes that the little pink-haired girl had ever seen, as well as a set of cute whiskers that looked as if they had been painted on his rounded, cherubic cheeks. He looked to be around her age, and was dressed in a cheerful orange jumpsuit that seemed downright incongruent to his personality.

When little Sakura saw the other child hovering uncertainly in the background of the park, half hiding behind a thick tree trunk and peeking at her shyly, he looked so sad and lonely that it made her feel sad as well.

The young girl hesitated briefly before she clambered to her feet and slowly approached the blonde child. She paused with confusion when he looked at her with something akin to panic in his eyes, his hands gripping the bark of the tree so tightly that they nearly turned white from the pressure. The other boy seemed scared of her, and Sakura could not imagine why.

She stopped a few meters away from the wary blonde, and tilted her head curiously. She had not expected any children to be here at this time of the day. It was only mid morning and most of her friends only came down to the park in the late afternoon, accompanied by their parents or guardians. Still, Sakura brightened at the thought of a new playmate.

"Do you wanna play together?" she asked hopefully.

The boy, who had looked all but ready to scramble up the tree to get away from her, froze in surprise. Stunned blue eyes met her inquisitive ones before the painfully shy blonde 'eep-ed' and hid his face behind the tree again.

Sakura appeared slightly bewildered, not to mention a bit hurt, by the boy's adverse reaction towards her. The pink-haired girl looked down on the ground and fiddled with her hands, biting her lip with uncertainty. "It's okay if you don't want to," she burst out quickly, not noticing the small blonde head that peered out bashfully from behind the tree. "I will just keep to one corner and you can play on the playground if you want to."

For a moment or so, there was a small, uneasy silence as both children waited with trepidation for the other to speak. Little Sakura gave up first. She sighed, her small shoulders hunching with dejection as she prepared to turn back and make good on her promise. It was obvious that the whiskered boy did not seem to like her, and as much as the pink-haired child wanted to befriend him, even she knew that wouldn't work if he did not want to be her friend.

"W-wait!" the anxious, childish voice rang out before Sakura could turn away. Emerald eyes widened slightly with hope when she heard the boy cry out, and she raised her head to meet his sad blue gaze. He was starting to look a bit scared again.

"A-anou sa, do you…like…foxes?" the little blonde asked hesitantly.

Sakura blinked innocently at the strange question. "Huh?" she asked eloquently at last, confused. "Foxes?"

The blonde looked down at his feet in shame. "The people here call me 'that damn fox,'" he parroted without comprehension of the meaning. He further confided in a small voice. "And they really don't like foxes."

He lifted his panicked eyes to meet hers again, as he blurted out quickly. "I will leave if you don't want me here, but please don't hurt me. I will go; I promise I will!"

Sakura crinkled her brow slightly. He sounded very much like herself before she met her best friend, Ino, and something in his cowed, beaten behavior made her feel very sad for him. This cute golden-haired boy didn't have Ino-chan to set him straight, and she would have been just like him too, if she hadn't met Ino. After that realization, the young pink-haired girl child did not think, she just reacted.

Sakura drew herself to her full height just like the way she remembered Ino-chan always did when she was being bossy, and placed her hands on her hips. She frowned at the upset looking boy and readied her most demanding, loud tone. "Are you a bad person?" she asked with childish authority.

He looked alarmed, and then shook his head so hard that Sakura almost worried it might fall off his shoulders. "No! I'm not. I'm really not!! I have never hurt anyone…" His frantic denial filtered to a soft, dejected whisper. "I am a parentless monster, though, that's what they always tell me…"

Emerald eyes widened slightly with silent commiseration. "I don't have my Otou-san as well," she confided quietly, momentarily subdued. "Kaa-san always said that he was a hero, though. Maybe your parents were heroes too?"

Hurting blue eyes looked to her with hopeful desperation as the little blonde all but clung to her words.

"R-really?" he asked in a small, uneven tone, his voice wobbly, tears clouding his vision when she nodded, her belief shining in her deep green gaze. With the sole exception of Hokage-jiji, no one, let alone a complete stranger like her, had ever bothered to speak to him with such kindness before, and the affection-starved blonde-haired boy found his wary reservations, both instinctive and learned, eroding away quickly when it came to this earnest pink-haired girl. Taking the chance that she might suddenly turn around and belittle and sneer at him just like the other kids often did, he started to sniffle and allowed her to see the tears rolling down his cheeks as he cried for a bit.

It was an event worth crying for, the little blonde thought happily, compared to all those helpless, bitter tears that he had wept when he was all alone and nobody cared.

Here was someone who believed in him. _She believed in him._ He had parents too, Hokage-jiji had told him, and now her as well. Maybe they hadn't abandoned him because they did not want him; maybe they really did love him very much, it was just that they couldn't be here for him when he needed them so much.

The little five year old boy cried harder, much to Sakura's alarm.

"H-hey!!" Sakura blurted out anxiously, instinctively moving the last few steps towards the sobbing blonde before awkwardly petting his head. His bright, golden hair was soft like a puppy's fur, the little girl thought as she stroked the boy's messy hair some more. "I'm sorry if I made you sad. Please don't cry! I will be very sad too!"

"No…" The little boy child wiped roughly at his eyes and gave her a genuine, albeit somewhat watery smile. "I'm not sad; I'm very happy!" He looked at her with painful hope. "I have never had a friend before. Will you…will you be my friend? P-please?"

She would never guess how much courage it took for him to ask, just like she would never guess how many times he had been rejected in the past, never guess just how badly he had been ill-treated. It would not be until quite a few years later, when they were all older, that she would finally learn the truth about this young, vulnerable boy who would eventually become one of her most cherished friends.

For now, she beamed at him, a large, returning smile for new friendship and beginnings.

"Okay! What's your name? Mine's Sakura. Haruno Sakura. Nice to meet you," she giggled at the adult-like introduction.

The little blonde gave her another sweet, shy smile in return.

"Hello, I'm…Uzumaki Naruto. Can I call you Sakura-chan?"

* * *

Itachi-chan did not like his mistress' new friend.

There was something about the whiskered boy that greatly offended the little weasel, and he wanted nothing to do with Naruto, much to the blonde's disappointment. Itachi-chan made it a habit to hide from him and absolutely refused to be petted by the little boy, until at last, Naruto gave up. Sakura had scolded her naughty pet something fierce; Naruto had been a really nice playmate, always giving in to her and eager to please, and the young girl could not imagine why Itachi-chan would dislike him so much.

"S'alright," Naruto muttered morosely as he sat in the sandbox beside her and stuck a finger into the sand. "A lot of people don't like me. I'm used to it."

Sakura gave one last frown to her weasel that was, as usual, flopping full length on the sand on her other side, before turning to Naruto. "Itachi-chan doesn't like new people," she explained with childish logic. "If you come to the park more often, he will like you more!"

The brightest blue eyes looked to her with stunned joy. "You want me to come here again?" Naruto asked in an uncertain whisper, almost as if disbelieving.

Sakura nodded.

"If you want to," she affirmed happily. "You can meet Ino-chan too, and she will be your friend as well and we can all play together! That'd be fun, don't you think?"

Fun? _It would be like a dream come true for Naruto. _The smile that he sported now was so much larger and brighter compared to the small, tentative one earlier, and the young blonde nodded fervently.

"I will come here every day!" the boy promised eagerly. "I will be good and I will not be annoying and I will do whatever you want me to do, Sakura-chan!!"

The pink-haired girl child giggled at her friend's earnest reaction. She reached out and flicked Naruto on the nose, her laughter escalating when the boy went slightly cross-eyed whilst trying to follow her movements.

"Naruto-kun no baka!" the little pink-haired girl chided lightheartedly. "You must be happy, that's all you ever have to do!!"

The blonde boy found that he could not speak; he had truly been prepared to do whatever it took to please his one and only friend. He nodded again, his head bobbing up and down with such mad frequency that Sakura started to giggle again.

From then on, Uzumaki Naruto, Konohagakure's Jinchuuriki, would forever associate the sound of Sakura's carefree laughter with the connotations of joy and unconditional acceptance.

It was the beginning of a friendship that would last a lifetime.

* * *

Five-year old Uchiha Sasuke scowled, his brows knitted together as he pouted at his ani.

"Nii-san, are you going to train me today?" the young boy demanded as he put himself obstinately in his brother's way. "You promised that you would!"

Itachi watched his otouto briefly before he finally replied.

"Come, Sasuke," the ten-year old spoke with quiet confidence, beckoning his sibling to him. Sasuke's frown cleared quickly to be replaced by growing excitement as he obeyed eagerly, his pale features alight with happiness at finally getting his way as he followed after his aniki. He fumbled briefly with his sandals as they both sat on the raised wooden platform outside the house to put on their footwear, but Itachi waited patiently for him to complete his task. At last, little Sasuke clambered down the traditional elevated flooring with the ungraceful gait of a young child before running up to his adored Nii-san, his small hand reaching up to his ani's to clasp trustingly onto the older boy as they walked out of the large clan complex together.

"Where are we going? Are we visiting the training grounds?" Dark eyes were bright and lively as the young child all but skipped alongside his older brother, and Itachi smiled inwardly at his otouto's youthful exuberance. He did not provide an answer to the boy's impatient questions, though, merely led Sasuke through their village and at last, they reached the less populous section of Konoha.

The raven-haired Chuunin brought his younger brother into the small, out of the way park that had become his frequent area of visit of sorts in the past few months, though before they could venture into the quiet, peaceful area filled with lush greenery and tall trees with wide, generous branches that provided cooling shade, they were interrupted by the swift arrival of a messenger.

The nin carried the insignia of the Uchiha clan, and with little preamble, he came up to Itachi and started to speak quietly to the older boy. Sasuke merely looked inquisitively around him for a brief moment before turning his gaze back to his brother.

The nin was quick to relay the message, and once done, he turned on his heel and retreated swiftly from the brothers, leaping back up to the tree branches and disappearing with discreetness. Little Sasuke gazed curiously at his ani.

"Nii-san?"

Itachi gazed down at Sasuke, the earlier hint of warmth on his face nowhere in sight, his expression completely blank and devoid of emotions as he looked upon the innocent face of his otouto. Sasuke absolutely hated it when his brother looked like that, as it never meant well. "I have been summoned by the clan elders, little brother, and I have to answer their call. If you follow this path and walk further ahead, you will find a play area. Wait for me there, Sasuke; I will be back soon."

Before the younger Uchiha could loudly protest his brother's abrupt abandonment, those onyx eyes so much like his warmed imperceptibly, and he was promptly poked in the forehead in a way that made him screw his face up in a grumpy scowl. "Nii-san!!" the young boy protested, clutching his forehead as he grimaced. He was already five! Why did his Nii-san always have to treat him like a baby?!!

Itachi glanced at his otouto briefly, a rare, amused expression flitting past his pale face. "Be good," he instructed quietly, before he turned out of the park and headed off swiftly. Sasuke stared after him until he disappeared from sight, and at last, the youngest Uchiha started to walk slowly towards the playground that his brother had told him about.

The play area was very small, the swings and seesaws old and faded. There was also a sandbox tucked in one corner, and there were two children playing in it, but Sasuke ignored them. Instead, he skulked towards one of the swings and climbed on petulantly. His feet dangled in the air as he glowered down at it; his brother was such a meanie, leaving him here all alone in the park. This was the fault of those stupid old bag elders in the council! If they weren't always calling for Nii-san to do this and do that, then Nii-san would have more time to spend with him!! And his brother would be helping him with all sorts of awesome training right now, the raven-haired boy pouted unhappily as he slowly swung back and forth on the old swing.

His resentful line of thoughts continued for the next few minutes or so, at least until the loud pitter patter of feet roused him from his unhappy contemplation. A scruffy looking blonde stood before him, and just a few paces behind the boy was a little pink-haired girl who was staring curiously at him as well. He recognized them both as the two children whom he had seen playing in the sandbox. He frowned slightly at them, clearly not in a good mood.

"I'm not getting off the swing," he declared grouchily before anyone could say a thing. "I got here first."

The golden haired boy scrunched up his face at the hostile tone before drawing out a finger and pointing it at the chicken-haired kid.

"Pffft. No one wants to sit on that sissy swing of yours!" the blonde yelled out in a high, childish tone. "We wanted to ask if you wanna play together. Sakura-chan said that you looked unhappy."

The pink-haired girl must be 'Sakura-chan,' and she was right. He was unhappy, but that was none of their business. Sasuke stiffened and scowled harder, taking grave offense to the other boy for some reason or another. It might have something to do with the fact that he had just implied that Sasuke was a sissy. The young Uchiha stuck his nose in the air the way he often saw his father do with those bad Hyuuga.

"Go away. I don't play with _ci-vi-lians_," the boy muttered pompously, although he nearly mangled that last, adult-ish word that he had barely learned a few days ago.

Sasuke looked smug when the loud blonde's eyes nearly crossed themselves as he tried to figure out what he meant. At last, the golden-haired boy turned to his slightly frowning partner and asked in a loud whisper. "What's fuzzy-hair talking about?"

In the few weeks that he had known Sakura-chan, Uzumaki Naruto had learned that his friend was the smartest girl he knew, and although she was also the only girl he knew, Naruto understood with an intrinsic knowledge that Sakura was his most awesome friend.

Of course, she was also his only friend, but still…

Sasuke looked completely offended by the nickname. The five-year old Uchiha quickly lost his composure and glared at the rude boy. "Oi!"

Sakura looked at bit hurt by the dark-haired boy's disdainful remark. "He means that we are not ninjas, Naruto-kun," the little girl replied softly.

Naruto took grave offense to that.

"That's not true! I'm going to become the best ninja in the village! Everyone is going to have to respect me then!! Dattebayo!!" the blonde cried out fiercely as he pointed to the skies. He glanced back briefly at Sakura-chan's dejected mannerism, and bright blue eyes honed into a fierce glare as he glowered at the horrid chicken-haired boy. "And I haven't seen ya in the 'cademy before, you are not a ninja!"

Sasuke glared back.

"You are a liar!" the boy accused angrily as he hopped down from his swing in his growing temper. "You are too young to be in the Academy! Otou-sama said that I can only enter next year, when I turn six!! You are too young to get into the Academy, liar!!"

The little scrawny blonde folded his arms, starting to get angry as well. "I'm not a liar! I have been studying hard in the Ninja Academy for the past three months!" Naruto lifted three of his fingers to prove his point, before he continued. "And I'm five too, you- you fuzzy-hair!!"

Sasuke turned a dark shade of red, whereas Sakura looked between the two boys uncertainly.

"Naruto-kun…you are in the Ninja Academy?" she asked slowly, surprised. The blonde had never mentioned such a thing before, but then again, Sakura had only known Naruto for a grand total of two weeks. Her new friend was loud and lively once he got out of his shy, reticent shell, and he had the wildest imagination ever—the interesting games and stories that he had thought up were like nothing she had heard of before, and she had enjoyed herself greatly whilst playing with him. Naruto wasn't the smartest in the adult sense, but the little girl understood instinctively that there was something about the earnest, _creative_ golden-haired boy that made him a genius in his own right, but perhaps just not in the conventional way.

Still, despite what she had learned about him to the very best of her five-year old abilities, there were still quite a lot of things that she did not know.

The whiskered child felt his irritation melt away quickly and grinned bashfully at his precious friend instead, completely ignoring the other angry boy currently glowering at him. He scratched his head, smiling at Sakura until his eyes were closed in a squint. "Ehehehe, Sakura-chan, I told ya that I was gonna be the greatest ninja, right? Hokage-jiji let me attend the Academy early! Sensei doesn't like me very much, but I think if Sakura-chan joined too, Sensei will love Sakura-chan because Sakura-chan is so smart!"

Sakura's eyes widened slightly. "I can enter too?"

Naruto nodded quickly, but before he could say more, the Uchiha behind him demanded.

"How?"

Sasuke was none too pleased to be ignored, and his surly tone indicated as much. Unfortunately for him, Naruto, young as he was, was already beginning to pick up the best ways to be annoying, especially when it came to pushing the buttons of this Uchiha whom he had just met.

The blonde turned back and stuck his tongue out at the other boy, much to the latter's shock. He even brought a finger to his eyelid and pulled it down insultingly. "Bleah! I'm not gonna tell ya! You made Sakura-chan sad, bad fuzzy-hair! C'mon, Sakura-chan, let's go back to the sandbox and leave girly boy here with his sissy swing!"

By now, young Sasuke was so angry that his fists were tightly clenched together and his small, cute face was twisted in a horrible scowl. He looked rather red, too, and little Sakura stared at the angry boy tentatively.

"You can come with us if you want," she offered.

Sasuke turned away and glared at the surrounding foliage stubbornly, choosing not to dignify the little girl with an answer. The pink-haired child felt her face fall with disappointment when the dark-haired boy ignored her, and Naruto tugged encouragingly at her hand

"Awh, Sakura-chan, why d'ya have to ask him along too? He's annoying!" the little blonde whined as he continued to coax his friend back to the sandbox, and it took all of the Uchiha's five-year old control not to run over and box the boy in the ears.

Sasuke snapped his head back and glared daggers at the two retreating figures, the golden-haired one in particular. How dare that…_stupid_ Naruto boy call him names?! He had no right! Sasuke was an Uchiha, while the boy was probably some no-name commoner who was also a liar!! If there was anyone who should be name calling, it should be him!

And of course, the fact that he was stewing all alone in his anger whereas the other two children were happily playing a short distance away only made the young Uchiha madder. It was not fair that they were enjoying themselves when he was being miserable, and at last, the sulking raven-haired boy skulked over to the sandbox.

Besides, it looked like they were having fun, and he had always hated being ignored the most.

Bright blue eyes looked up at his approach. "Hah! So ya finally wanna play now, fuzzy-hair?"

"Don't call me _that_. My name is Uchiha Sasuke," the snooty boy corrected with a fierce scowl. He hunkered down at the edge of the sandbox, observing with dark eyes what they were doing. He frowned again. It looked like they were just playing with dirt, making shapes and patterns and little structures that made no sense whatsoever. _This was supposed to be fun?!_

"Keh! I will call you whatever I want! S'not like you can stop me or anything," the blonde paused briefly to give the offended Uchiha a toothy grin before he slipped in the hated nickname once more. "Fuzzy-hair."

Little Sasuke was quickly getting agitated again, and it showed in the way his pale features were starting to turn bright red all over again. The young pink-haired child quickly intervened, instinctively playing the role of peacemaker, interrupting before the two boys could start a fight.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun. My name is Sakura, and this is Naruto-kun."

Sasuke ignored that. He had heard as much earlier, though he had no intention of calling the golden-haired brat by name.

"Dobe." There wasn't quite enough of an insulting ring to it due to the fact that the speaker's voice was that of a young child, though Naruto stiffened and Sakura's eyes widened at the bad word.

"What did you just call me?" Naruto glared, all hint of playfulness gone.

Sasuke had heard his older cousins taunting the village children with that word before, and though he knew that it was impolite, it didn't stop him from repeating the rude word again. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and looked challengingly at the other young boy.

"You are nothing but a dobe."

Conditioned from years of verbal abuse from people whom he had never even known, it was no surprise that the little blonde reacted badly to the name calling.

"Teme!!"

Young Sakura could only blink in shock as an orange blur leapt to his feet and proceeded to fly across the sandbox and into the Uchiha boy. There was a muffled 'oomph' as both boys went tumbling to the ground, and before long, sounds of a fierce tussle began as the two kids started to brawl. Grunts and angry name calling ensued as the boys rolled around on the floor and gave as good as they got; Naruto angry at being belittled, Sasuke furious that he was being treated with such callous regard. Despite being smaller in build and scrawnier than the better fed Uchiha, Naruto appeared to be winning. His experience out in the streets had taught him to fight dirty, whereas the coddled second son of the Uchiha clan head had never even fought in his entire five years of life.

In other words, Sasuke was getting his ass handed to him by the young blonde, though he was trying his best to keep up and return the other boy's aggression, both growling and snapping like a pair of puppies.

Naruto was almost certain that he would win this fight. He was about to rub this Sasuke's face in the dirt and at the same time give him a noogie when what seemed like an endless torrent of sand was poured onto him and his opponent, causing both to protest loudly and sputter. The two boys separated quickly, but not fast enough to escape the hard bonk on their heads via the heavy application of a plastic shovel.

Sakura stood before the two of them, her hands on her hips and a large frown marring her angelic features. "No fighting," she commanded fiercely, her deep green eyes glowing with consternation as she started to wave the bright red plastic shovel at the both of them.

"But Sakura-chan," a ruffled looking Naruto protested. "The teme was- ow!!" Another smack on his head quickly put a stop to the name calling.

"He has a name, Naruto-kun," the young girl looked a bit displeased. "I was sad when the other children called me an ugly freak. I think Sasuke-kun doesn't like to be called bad names either."

The little blonde was outraged, but not for the reason that Sakura would have thought.

"Who called you a freak?!" the little boy yelled with anger. Nobody was allowed to call his best friend names unless they were looking for a fight with him!

Sakura blinked at the furious blonde. Then, she shook her head slowly, and turned her attention to the other scowling boy.

"You hit me," he accused, sounding almost surprised. The little girl stared at the dark-haired boy. At the moment, he looked just as rumpled as her blonde friend, and more than a bit disgruntled too. For some reason, the boy's grumpy demeanor tickled her insides; he reminded her of a ruffled cockatoo that she had seen once in a pet shop.

"I will do it again if you fight with Naruto-kun," she told him seriously. "And no more name calling."

She sounded like she was scolding him, and Uchiha Sasuke looked at this small bit of a girl with something akin to irritation in his dark gaze.

"But he started it!" the raven-haired boy could not help but accuse grouchily, even as he climbed to his feet, crossed his arms petulantly before his chest, and glared at the stupid blonde. Surprisingly enough, Sasuke wisely refrained from the name calling this time around. He wasn't scared of the hard, plastic shovel the puny pink-haired girl was waving around, of course, even though it did _hurt_ to be beaten over the head by her. He was just…yes, he was just above such silly acts, like Otou-sama always said he had to be.

Not to mention, he was pretty sure that the crazy blonde had just cheated at their fight; he just didn't know how the other boy had done it, that's all!

Sakura frowned again. "Naruto-kun won't do it again. Right, Naruto-kun?" There was a terrifying promise in that sweet lilt of her young voice that was somehow incongruent with her large, innocent looking emerald eyes, and both boys were instinctively wary of her. Naruto nodded quickly, obediently. He had never heard Sakura-chan speak like this before, and because he had also never seen what the kind, sweet little girl was capable of when truly angry, he was only perfectly eager to please his friend. Sasuke, on the other hand, just had no wish to be smacked upside the head by the girl again. It was bad enough that he would have lost to that…_Naruto_ if not for her interference; the last thing he wanted was to get beat by a girl too.

"I'm not playing with any of you," he muttered at last. "You are all boring. I'm going back to the swing. Don't bother me."

"Oh yeah?! Then go back to your sissy swing, te- uh, fuzzy-hair! It's not like you are very fun yourself!" little Naruto corrected hastily mid yell, giving a quick glance to his pink-haired friend. Sakura looked a bit disappointed that the sullen Uchiha wanted nothing to do with them, though; it would have been fun to have another person play with them, and she watched as the other boy turned and started to walk away.

She was distracted when Itachi-chan, who had been roused awake from his nap by all the racket, skittered soundlessly over to her and proceeded to make his way up to his usual perch on her shoulder. Naruto noticed as well, and the whiskered boy folded his arms across his chest and turned away from the offending Uchiha, looking as disdainful as his cute features could allow before he got bored and grinned at Sakura instead.

"Hey! Itachi-chan is awake! C'mon Sakura-chan, let's just forget about fuzzy over there and play with Itachi-chan instead!"

The young Sasuke was still within hearing distance as he stalked away, and not surprisingly, he turned around sharply when he heard the 'magic' word.

Imagine the Uchiha's appalled expression when he realized just what his adored brother's namesake was.

A tiny little black furry rodent-like creature, with a small, pointed face, long quivering whiskers, and shining black button eyes.

It was undeniably _cute_.

And it responded to his ani's name, cuddling up affectionately to the pink-haired little girl who looked so sweet and nice and pretty that Sasuke wanted to _puke_.

_Argh. Girls. _

Before the young Uchiha knew what he was doing, he was marching back towards the two children again, and both of them looked at him as he neared, his personal thundercloud hovering above him as he scowled at them once more.

"Whaddya want now, fuzzy?" Naruto demanded then. Little Sasuke ignored the rude blonde, and focused his eyes on the small weasel currently perched on the little girl's shoulder.

"What did you just call it?"

Sakura frowned slightly. Her hand came up to stroke Itachi-chan, and the little weasel butted his head against her fingers, at the same time watching the familiar-looking dark-haired boy with suspicious eyes. "His name is Itachi-chan."

Sasuke's scowl would have looked downright ferocious now if not for the fact that his pale face was scrunched up in a distinctly adorable manner that quickly made Naruto snicker. When the raven-haired boy transferred his glare over to the blonde, the whiskered child looked away quickly and tried to appear innocent. Sasuke returned his attention to Sakura after a bit.

"Change that name," the young Uchiha demanded. "Your pet cannot be called Itachi."

Sakura tipped her head slightly to the side. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "Itachi-chan has always been Itachi-chan!"

"Yeah, and why must she listen to you, huh? You never listened to her when she talked to you!" Naruto shot back argumentatively.

Young Sasuke was sorely tempted to stomp his feet angrily and demand his way. What was wrong with these two people? Couldn't they see that he was an Uchiha? They were supposed to agree with whatever he said!

"That animal is not worthy of that name!" the boy declared righteously.

The other two children stared at him with something akin to disbelief on their faces. There was a brief silence as everyone contemplated Sasuke's absurd remark.

Then, Itachi-chan chittered, breaking the silence as he started to scratch at the back of his ear with a forepaw without a care in the world. Naruto could not help himself. He burst into laughter, loud irritating laughter, or so Sasuke felt.

"It's not funny," the young boy growled, face red as a tomato as he looked about as threatening as a limp noodle. Not surprisingly, the blonde who was starting to become Sasuke's Public Enemy Number One was hardly inclined to agree with him, if the volume of his guffaws were to be of any indication. "Shut up!"

"Sakura-chan, maybe you should change Itachi-chan's name to Sasuke-chan, eh? Or maybe fuzzy-chan?" the blonde was giggling madly with laughter, though the boy standing beside him was not amused. Oh, he was not amused at all.

The little pink-haired girl looked at her mischievous friend with childish exasperation, but gave up when he grinned unrepentantly at her. She looked to the raven-haired Uchiha instead.

"Why do you want me to change Itachi-chan's name?" she asked curiously, a bit surprised when the other child almost cringed at the mention of her pet weasel.

Truly, to have his awesome aniki compared to a puny woodland critter was an insult to Sasuke's sense of hero worship.

"Because that is my Nii-san's name, that's why," the young boy muttered resentfully.

"…your Nii-san's…name?" the angelic-looking little girl repeated slowly, even as realization slowly occurred. The little girl started to beam happily at the young Uchiha. "Itachi-kun is your Nii-san!"

She sounded thrilled to learn that he was related to Itachi-kun. She really liked the nin-san who had saved her and Itachi-chan so long ago; although the older boy didn't talk much, he had always listened to her chatter. He was never mean to her either, and there was just something about him that made her want to make him happy.

Itachi-kun always seemed so sad to her, and Sakura-chan wondered why that was so.

"…Itachi-kun?" Sasuke echoed as well, his own frown deepening. "You can't call him that," the boy protested unhappily. Who was this irritating little girl and why did she have to sound so close to his Nii-san? She had no right!!

"Eh?! I know!! What about Itachi-nii? I can call him Itachi-nii too!"

Sasuke was quickly getting angry again.

"No! You can't call him that either!" the young boy lost his temper at last and let out an unbecoming bellow. "He's not your Nii-san!!"

"Anou sa, anou sa," little Naruto interrupted the outburst, as if he had not heard the impressive display of the Uchiha's vocal abilities. "Who's this Itachi-kun?" Not to be out done, he continued innocently, "Ne, ne, can I call him Itachi-nii too?"

There was a brief silence as the poor Uchiha turned a shade of dark puce that spoke of yet another impending tantrum to come.

"_No. You. Can't!!!!_ He's not your brother!! He's mine!! You can't have him! Argh!!!! I hate you all!"

* * *

Not more than half an hour later, the boys were busy getting involved in an impromptu competition of 'who-could-swing-the-highest,' not paying attention to anyone other than each other. For someone who had empathetically proclaimed earlier to hate his new playmates, Uchiha Sasuke seemed to have temporarily forgotten about his impassioned declaration in favor of trying to outdo his infuriating blonde rival. There was just something about the whiskered boy that irritated Sasuke something fierce, and there was no way he would allow himself to lose to the other boy again.

Especially not when that Naruto no baka had just called him a 'sissy girly boy' right to his face. Again. Then, there was the other horrid nickname—

"Hahahaha! I'm winning, fuzzy!! Try to keep up!!" the golden-haired boy boasted as he swooshed past him then. Five-year old Sasuke felt his face scrunch up with displeasure as he glared at Naruto. He quickly renewed his efforts and swung harder, trying his best to emulate the blonde's actions, pumping his short little legs just the way Naruto had done to gain momentum even as the boy beside him oscillated up and down and forward and back like a crazy, out of control pendulum.

"Woohoo!!" young Naruto howled and laughed joyously, his wild blonde locks waving around his mischievous, fox-like face as he grinned with such carefree happiness that his pink-haired friend could not help but giggle at his glee. "Look at me, Sakura-chan!! I'm flying!!"

Sasuke scowled. How on earth was he swinging so high up without anyone pushing him from behind?! This was not so fun anymore now that he was on the losing end of this contest.

"You are cheating!!" the little raven-haired Uchiha accused the boy beside him as he still tried to reach the heights that Naruto was currently at, but with slower success. "I bet I would win you if my Nii-san is here to push me!!"

At that comment, Naruto's face fell slightly. He scowled as well.

"I'm not cheating, ya stupid fuzzy!" the blonde retorted loudly before lowering his voice to a mutter. "When you have no one to push you, you just have to learn how to do it yourself. Baka."

Sasuke did not know how to reply to Naruto's answer. He looked confused for a brief moment, and then he turned away, glowering at nothing in particular. Naruto looked away as well, his eyes finally lighting upon Sakura, who was happy enough to sit on the nearest bench tucked away at the corner of the play area, some distance from the swing set, a familiar, worn-looking book open on her lap and pet weasel curled against the side of her neck

"Ne, ne, Sakura-chan, you wanna have a go too?" the blonde asked loudly, his voice varying in volume as he swung back and forth on the swing. He was more than willing to give up his place on the swing if Sakura-chan wanted a turn on it. The pink-haired girl child shook her head slightly though, careful not to jar her pet awake.

"Itachi-chan is napping, and I don't want to wake him up," little Sakura explained. She cocked her head slightly and observed the way Naruto's dark-haired neighbor was struggling with gaining momentum on the swing. "Why don't you teach Sasuke-kun instead? He looks like he needs your help."

Sasuke turned even redder from a combination of his physical exertion and stung pride. "I don't want his help," the young Uchiha muttered stubbornly with a scowl. "Leave me alone and let me figure this out!"

The golden-haired child shrugged; it wasn't as if he was particularly eager to teach that stuck up fuzzy-hair. Only Sakura-chan's insistence on getting along with this rude, grouchy and unwilling playmate prevented him from actively making fun of the proud, sullen boy; getting him all ruffled up sure was a terribly simple and hilarious thing to do, though.

But Sakura-chan had said no, and Naruto was more than willing to obey his friend's every wishes. She had never made many demands of him, and he was determined to repay her friendship with everything he had, to eagerly show her that she had not made a mistake when she had decided to put her faith and belief in him. So if she wanted him to be 'buddy buddy' with the irritable Uchiha, then Naruto would be more than happy to do so.

So, the young blonde started to demonstrate to his other new playmate (like it or not) the sequence of actions he used, even though he did grumble a bit about it. A part of him resented that he had to share his hard-earned knowledge with the bad-tempered and demanding fuzzy-hair; no one had ever wanted to push him on the swing and he had to learn by himself, when there was no one in the play area, by trial and error, before he finally got the hang of soaring through the air, finally felt the simple rush of pleasure that other children his age took for granted.

But even then, five-year old Naruto's happiness at his small achievement had been quickly marred by the fact that there was no one to share his accomplishment with. No one had looked at him with amused acknowledgement, no one had looked at him with pride, no one had looked at him at all. He had always been alone, and too young to understand why that particular portion of his small chest always seemed to ache so bad sometimes.

But now, he had a precious friend in the form of one pink-haired Sakura-chan, and somehow, it also didn't feel so bad to show Sasuke how to use the swing set, especially when the other boy was playing close attention to him, even if he was trying his hardest not to be so obvious about it.

Rude or not, Uchiha Sasuke was the first boy his age to see him as something of a useful individual, even if grudgingly and momentarily, and that felt…nice, too. Not as nice as being allowed to be Sakura-chan's friend, of course, but still, it was much, _much_ better than how most of the village treated him. For one who was still as little as Naruto was, he was a surprisingly accurate judge in character. But then again, his way of life meant that he had no choice but to pick up that ability. Quickly.

The young boy could tell that the Uchiha wasn't being purposely mean or nasty towards him. No, Sasuke seemed to be more of a grouch in general who just didn't seem to like a lot of people by sheer principle alone. Naruto just happened to be in that long list of people for the moment, and it spoke badly about the young blonde's life so far when that particular bit of knowledge made him feel so much better.

At least, he wasn't being purposely singled out this time around, and just for that alone, Uchiha Sasuke was already head and shoulders above most people in that aspect.

_Maybe fuzzy-hair wasn't so bad after all_.

Within a few minutes, Sasuke had pretty much gotten the hang of the swing. The young, raven-haired boy was so pleased that he was almost grinning as he easily gained the heights that had been previously denied to him, and he let out his own whoop of childish joy at having accomplished something that he had always depended on his Nii-san for. Even though he hadn't received the training he wanted, he had at least learned something new today.

"Oi, why are you still picking up so slow?" a now familiar voice rang out authoritatively, but never tauntingly, beside him. "Hurry up, slowpoke!"

"I'm not slow!" Sasuke scowled in protest and pumped his legs more vigorously in order to speed up some. He had been carefully listening to the two children as they talked to each other around him for the past hour or so, briefly interspersed by the pink-haired girl's tentative, yet determined, efforts to include him, as well as the whiskered boy's brash and rude demeanor as he never failed to needle Sasuke to form some sort of reaction. The young Uchiha wasn't being very participatory; in fact, he was downright unenthusiastic to be honest, though he was also reluctantly impressed by the practical way Naruto did things and talked, thinking almost like an…adult. He had never seen anyone his age who acted like this small golden-haired child before, and even this Sakura was quite…different, as well.

They didn't squabble or scream unnecessarily or fight amongst each other like the other children he knew; there was no hair pulling, no one was boasting about their newest toy or ganging up on the younger ones at every chance, and really, Sasuke was not used to this different environment at all. No one was trying to make him do anything he didn't want to here, and at the same time, even though this Sakura and Naruto didn't seem to understand that he belonged to the great Uchiha clan, they were surprisingly not-so-boring to hang around with.

Not that he would ever admit thinking that way about his current two playmates, of course.

Sasuke swung harder and then peeked over to the side to see how Naruto was doing. His cherubic, childish face filled with smugness when he decided that he was finally on par with the smaller boy.

Hah! Take that!!

It was then that Uchiha Itachi made his appearance in the vicinity of the play area, the young Chuunin looking older than his actual age of ten years as his paler than usual appearance and slightly strained features became more obvious as he neared the three children. For those who were aware of his duties and burdens that had been placed on his young shoulders, it wasn't hard to see that the boy was struggling under the immense pressure that he had been expected to carry. His clan accepted only perfection from their prodigious heir, and not many outsiders saw beyond the genius and implacable facade of the young _tensai_. He was practically worshipped by the civilian villagers, his undeniable talents recognized and acknowledged by his fellow ninjas, and it was no wonder that he always felt as if he was being examined for his worth, silently suffocating under the weight of the cold eyes that rested upon him, the men and women of his clan who dictated every detail of his life.

Today was no different.

"…_in light of your astounding performance in the Chuunin exams, the ANBU Commander has expressed an interest in recruiting you into the program…"_

"…_this is an excellent opportunity for our clan to ingratiate ourselves within the Hokage's private task force…"_

_"…you will be one of the youngest ANBU recruits to be initiated within the Black Ops, the small percentage that has been handpicked by the Commander himself..."_

"…_this is a mark of honor for our clan, you must understand the significance…"_

_"…we have provided the Commander with a positive reply and as always, your parents have been persuaded to give their consent as well. You will join ANBU effectively from tomorrow onwards, and will be housed in a separate, undisclosed facility as a trainee for the next six months…"_

"…_your objectives are clear; as our heir apparent, you are not to dishonor the clan in any way. You are to become an official member of the Black Ops as quickly as possible, just as you are to rise amongst the ranks swiftly thereafter. You will become nothing but the best of the best, the Third's right hand in every way…"_

_"…you will bring glory back to the clan…"_

"_Is that clear, Itachi?"_

What else could he do other than to wordlessly agree? There wasn't a choice in this matter, not for him. Never for him. It didn't matter that he hated confrontations, that it was a pipe dream of his to be left in peace, what he thought didn't matter at all. The very moment he was born into this clan, he was destined to be their pride, the deadly ornamental weapon to be proudly displayed to the rest of the world.

The bitterness that roiled within him made him feel almost sick, and not for the first time, Itachi almost wished that he had been born to a normal family.

One in which his mother didn't have to steal into his room in the middle of the night when she thought him fast asleep in his bed, just to tell him in such heartaching and tender tones how proud she was of him, things that she would never dare—or be allowed—to say to him anywhere else. One in which his father didn't have to constantly fight against the clan elders who stood against him in their unanimous intention to wean his eldest son from his family, perpetually torn between his duties as a clan leader, and his strong paternal instincts as a father.

A life in which he could just be himself, and still be loved unconditionally by his family.

But young as he was, he was also realistically aware that such hopeless wishes were impossible. However, the trappings of youth were hard to shed, and so were the innocuous dreams and hopes that he had clung stubbornly to, no matter how hard the elders had tried to rid him of them. _He was only ten years old._

And he did not know now, not yet, but his subsequent entry into the Black Ops would completely kill off what little of his innocence that was left.

"Itachi-kun?"

The soft, childlike and girlish voice told him that he had been spotted, as well as the identity of the one who had seen him first. Slowly, he turned his head slightly to the left and saw the little pink-haired girl who was sitting quietly on one side of the bench just meters away from him. A pure, joyous smile wreathed her heart-shaped face as she greeted him with the warmest of welcomes, her deep green eyes that was large on her small face soft with heartfelt happiness as she did nothing to hide her delight at his unexpected presence.

She was waving to him, but carefully, trying her best not to jostle the living pelt of pure jet black wrapped sleepily against the side of her neck, and automatically, his legs brought him to her. Without a word, he lowered himself beside her quietly, and he took a brief moment to locate his otouto. He was briefly surprised to see that the normally reticent Sasuke seemed to have struck up a friendly rivalry of sorts with Uzumaki Naruto, the village's pariah, and not-so-coincidentally, Konoha's Jinchuuriki. Both young boys looked a bit scruffy, but they were so focused on trying to outdo each other that they had not noticed him yet.

Sasuke's behavior was quite unexpected; his younger brother normally took a long time warming up to other people, but it seemed that he was doing quite well with young Uzumaki. Itachi had half anticipated a large tantrum from the younger boy upon his return, certain that Sasuke would not be happy to be so abruptly left to his own devices by him, but his assumption proved to be inaccurate this time around.

And perhaps, with the distraction of a new friend, Sasuke would not grow to resent his older brother as much for his forced absence for the next half a year or so.

Itachi's eyes darkened slightly at the reminder, but broke away from his thoughts when the girl beside him started to speak.

"Itachi-kun?" Sakura's sweet, tentative voice interrupted gently, asking for his attention. He turned to her at last, and met her solemn verdant gaze with his own. The pink-haired child had been reading her book again when he had arrived on the scene, but now the beloved book lay forgotten on her lap as she focused her entire attention on him instead. Her large almond eyes studied him for a brief moment with surprising intensity, a small frown starting to crease her forehead the longer she stared at him.

"You are sad," she observed at last, the genuine concern in her young voice apparent. She sidled nearer to his side, and pressed against him with familiarity as she tipped her head back slightly to look at him better. "Why are you sad again, Itachi-kun?"

Her simple, childlike question came out in an anxious, earnest tone, her worry on his behalf obvious by the way she had instinctively moved nearer to him in order to establish physical contact, to offer some semblance of comfort.

He flinched inwardly at her query, even as his pale face smoothed out completely to become blank and unreadable. His instinctual response was to deny her observation; he was certain that he had schooled his expression even prior to entering the park, how could she still read his emotions…?

"Your eyes…" she paused, frowning again as she struggled to put to words to what she was seeing. _"…they look like they want to cry_."

Her bewildered, quiet reply made him freeze. He was watching her in a slightly sharper manner now, studying her just as she had him earlier. She didn't seem to notice though, and raised up a small hand from her lap and reached out slowly towards him, stretching her little fingers out almost as if she was trying to touch his face, an expression of mesmerized inquisitiveness and childish concern displayed prominently on her delicate, elfin features as she held his stare with her own large, innocent ones. At last, her tiny fingertips brushed against the side of his cheekbone then, soft and fleeting like a butterfly's wings, and surprisingly enough, he did not move out of her range when he could have very easily avoided her touch should he desire it to be so.

Instead, the young Chuunin stilled completely and allowed the little one to awkwardly pat his cheek as she tried to offer him some measure of comfort, instinctively seeking to lessen the unspoken torment in the dark gaze of the raven-haired youth.

He never took his eyes off her.

Little Sakura-chan did not seem to mind the attention, though. She smiled at him, a small, hopeful smile that felt like the gentlest rays of the sunshine on his cold, numbed soul, before she lowered her hand and started to bring it back to rest on her lap.

Her eyes widened curiously with surprise when his hand reached out suddenly and snatched hold of her before she could even pull away completely. Despite his quick reaction, the older boy was painstakingly careful with his handling of the young girl child; his longer fingers wrapped themselves protectively against her smaller, babyish ones, not too tight, but not too loose either. He held on to her with a firm grip that belied his quiet desperation for any form of human contact at the moment, and the little girl did not resist. She tilted her head curiously like a little kitten and observed the way his hand intertwined with hers, and to her credit, there was not a hint of fear to be found in those guileless green eyes of hers.

The Uchiha heir wanted to look away from the little girl who was slowly but surely soothing his despairing, turbulent emotions with her sweet, open presence, mortified that he was being so weak, wanted to look away, to pretend that he wasn't clinging on to this little girl like a lifeline, _but he couldn't_. His hold on her tightened imperceptibly, and she looked at him again.

It took everything he had not to flinch visibly from her gaze in shame, even as his insides quivered and roiled anxiously in a way that made him feel almost sick.

But the look she gave him held no recrimination whatsoever, nor was there any disgust or disappointment in those clear emerald depths. _She wasn't judging him for his actions_. With the strength of her five-year old self, she squeezed his hand back to the best of her abilities. She gave him a tiny, shy smile.

"Don't be sad anymore, Itachi-kun," she told him in a serious, yet sweetly childish tone. "Or I will be sad too, okay?"

He really didn't know what he was doing anymore when it came to this little girl child, and he couldn't seem to make himself let go of her hand either. _Not yet._

She was looking at him with those expectant eyes filled with such gentle trust, though, and just like that, whatever it was that had been coiling so tightly within him started to loosen slowly, allowing him to breathe properly again.

He still did not trust himself to speak, and merely jerked his head down once in agreement. She seemed to understand what he was trying to tell her, and her large emerald eyes started to shine with an inner light.

In that very instant, the bond that had began to form between them became even stronger, slowly but surely entwining together this pale-faced, perpetually stressed heir of the great Uchiha clan and the little pink-haired civilian girl child whom he had somehow known innately from the beginning was special to him.

And it was at that same moment that the raven-haired boy finally decided to stop questioning just what it was about little Sakura that drew him to her like a moth to a flame.

The quiet youth closed his eyes briefly, and felt more of his anxiety melt away. His helpless frustration and unhappiness at his clan was slowly fading away in the face of Sakura's innocent company, and for once, he decided to ignore the sheer repercussions of what he had just done—letting this little girl into his life. There was something about her, he did not know what, perhaps it was what she represented, that soothed his troubled mind. Perhaps that was the reason why he had kept returning to look upon her, initially attracted to her against his will, and truth to be told, he was so weary—and desperate—that he no longer cared to deny the calming effect she had on him. There would be hell to pay if it ever got out that he had a weakness in the form of a small five year old girl, but by now, it mattered little to the raven-haired youth.

The people around him already saw him as a bit strange and unsettling, what harm would a little more discrimination do? At least, this time around, he would have something he wanted, and he would do whatever it took to keep her. It was a fair trade, the way he saw it. She clearly needed attention, _and he needed her_.

If he was to be drafted into ANBU against his will, then let his weakness for this little girl be the only thing he asked for in exchange.

The distant chatter of voices coming from the swing set alerted him to the fact that his presence had finally been spotted, and even as Sasuke and his new friend started to approach the bench to greet him, he did not let go of Sakura's hand. But that was alright.

The little pink-haired girl beside him did not let go, either.

_

* * *

_

::tsuzuku::

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Well, I think this is the longest installment that I have ever written, so please forgive me and my beta if we have missed any grammar and/or spelling mistakes.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

At the moment, Itachi-chan does not like Naruto for a very good reason. Naruto smells of fox, and I kid you not, I did some research and found out that foxes are the predators of weasels. So until Naruto proves himself harmless and Itachi-chan learns to get over his instinctual wariness of the young blonde, he's not going to have any luck trying to play with Sakura's little pet.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I know it's a bit clichéd to write a kiddy!Team Seven encounter, but I find myself wondering just how things could change had these three met each other pre-Academy, if they could strike up a friendship of sorts prior to their entry to Ninja Preschool. Well, I'm going to try with CP anyways, so we will see where this goes.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Naruto might appear a bit bipolar in this chapter. He was scared and timid at the beginning and became more brash and loud at the end. That was done on purpose. My theory is that Naruto's behavior, from loud orange attire to noisy, mischievous attitude, was something that stemmed from his desperate need for attention. A coping mechanism, if you will, from suffering from a lifelong period of social isolation.

As you can see, he was afraid of getting hurt in the beginning, but the moment Sakura gave him a chance, he recovered quickly and gained his exuberant and loud, extreme behavior. It's almost as if he was trying to keep his friend's attention on him at all times, doing everything he could to gain her approval, to ensure that he would not risk losing her friendship.

I think it sounds bad, but then again, I doubt that canon!Naruto had ever had it easy in life.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

At the same time, CP!Sakura and Naruto might seem a bit more matured in both action and speech when compared to Sasuke, but that's mainly due to a marked difference in family backgrounds. As of now, Sakura and Naruto are more independent compared to Sasuke, who as the son of the Uchiha clan head, is quite protected and sheltered from the outside world.

By the way, I hope that five-year old Sasuke did not come off as particularly strange. I actually went back to Chapter 402 of the manga to do a bit of research on Sasuke's character pre-massacre, when he was still quite young. I feel that he was quite the little spoilt child, thanks to his mother's coddling and the fact that he was born the second son, and therefore was not pressured as badly as his older brother. His clan was rich and prestigious, so it's no surprise that he's petulant and insists on demanding his way. Well, at least for now.

On an unrelated note, I have also noted some discrepancies in Chapter 402 of the manga.

Well, we all know that Itachi is five to six years older than Sasuke, and that he became Genin at seven, gained the Sharingan at eight, made Chuunin at ten, and became ANBU Captain at twelve. Yet, in Chapter 402, he was still in the Academy despite looking so much older than the average seven-year old, and I don't know, Sasuke sure looked and acted terribly advanced for a two-year old to me as well. Did anyone else notice what I noticed?

**xXxXxXxXxX**

As for the matter of the Uchiha clan, well…it's complicated. I'm trying to write Fugaku and Mikoto in a different light this time around, and let's just say that if the Hokage's will can be subverted by his council members, who's to say that it cannot happen to the clan heads as well?

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I'm not really sure just when Itachi joined ANBU in canon-verse, but for CP, he will enter the Black Ops a month or so after his Chuunin exams. That gives him a more realistic timeline to progress within the ranks of ANBU, I think. Six months in training, another six as a rookie recruit, one year as a fully functional member in an ANBU team, and then followed by promotion to ANBU Captain.

Sounds plausible, right?

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Last but not least, I hope Itachi wasn't too OOC here. After all, I figured that if I was the peace-loving and non-confrontational type and was only ten years old, I would freak out too if my family's shipping me off to ANBU boot camp.

But hey, that's just only my humble opinion.

By the way, if the notion of Itachi 'freaking out' offends you terribly, you are welcome to pretend not to read this last portion!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

--paws


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** cabbage patch

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/General/Humor

**Word Count:** 9667

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #23, cabbage patch

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Non-massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.

**Created on:** 08/07/09

**Completed on:** 24/07/09

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 01/08/09

**

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**

Chapter Five

* * *

Akikaze Kokkai was old.

At the age of sixty-one, the current Commander of the infamous Black Ops was quite fortunate to have survived to such a ripe old age, considering his dangerous occupation as well as the position that he had held for the past thirty-two years, faithfully guarding the back of his Hokage as the Fire Shadow himself watched over the rest of the village with a seemingly tireless dedication that would have crushed lesser men. The ANBU commander's powerful organization had foiled countless assassination attempts, treachery, and nefarious plots to overthrow their leader time and again, and really, luck had little to do with the fact that none of those plans had ever succeeded.

No, the aptly named _Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai_ was made up of an elite group of shinobi and kunoichi, the best that Konoha could offer, where absolutely no compromises could be made when it came to the skills and abilities of the individual nin who carried its proud mark on their shoulder. That was why the initiation tests for the aspiring recruits were exceedingly demanding, the pressure and expectations for them to perform well above their usual limits—in all aspects—challenging and strenuous, not only to the physical body, but to the mind and soul as well.

The average passing rate for an ANBU examination at any time was only fourteen point four-two percent, which meant that only one in every ten trainees ever made it into the Special Ops. The statistics were daunting, and combined with the high turnover rate of the nin who served as ANBU, it was only natural that Akikaze was always faced with a problem in the form of manpower shortage.

That pain in the ass Danzo and his little brainwashed band of merry men were not helping matters either. Besides the Yondaime's Legacy, the continued existence of the supposedly disbanded 'Ne' was probably the next worst kept secret in Konoha. Just about anyone and their grandmother knew about Ne, Danzo's little pet project. So much for it being a secret faction.

Safely sequestered in the large, spacious office situated within the hearth of the highly secured ANBU Headquarters and surrounded front, left, and right by mounds of paperwork, the ANBU Commander spared some time, muttering under his breath about the meddling tendencies of the decrepit war hawk. Not that Akikaze was a spring chicken himself; in fact, he and Danzo were of the same age, so how on earth did the damn coot still have the strength to insert his arthritis-ridden fingers into everyone's business and generally make things difficult for the Hokage's Administration?

And of course, that meant when Danzo wasn't over at the Hokage Tower busy breathing over Sarutobi's shoulder, then he was off recruiting trainees, valuable manpower that should have belonged to the ANBU alone, if Akikaze might so add, for his ridiculous little plots _to show up the Third_. Akikaze never did understand what it was about that pointy Hat of Fire that made men go all batshit insane over it, nor was he particularly interested to find out. If he had, he would have quit his stressful job a long time ago and joined up the Council of Elders, sitting his ass high up in the Hokage Tower and cackling gleefully at the misery of everyone around him.

But since he wasn't that demented yet, and being the loyal Konoha shinobi that he was, he was duty bound to keep his Hokage and village safe. Unfortunately that meant he was constantly butting heads with Danzo, Homura, and Koharu. Fortunately, the four of them—five, if you included Sarutobi—had been playing this never ending game of tug-of-war for so long that the division in power amongst them was more or less equal on all sides. Then again, that near equality in authority and influence, both political and otherwise, meant that every little bit of advantage that could be gathered against the other side had to be acquired quickly and guarded carefully, to be kept and used against the opposition only when the most favorable opportunity struck.

As mentioned earlier, it was an endless game of tug-of-war.

Therefore, when the prodigious heir of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Itachi, won the Chuunin Examinations, Akikaze Kokkai acted quickly.

All it took was a few well-placed enquiries as well as a bit of delicate catering to that particular clan's ego, and they had all but handed the boy over to him on a silver platter.

Not surprisingly, Sarutobi had been furious when he had learned of what his ANBU Commander had done. The Third had never liked the idea of recruiting young children into the Special forces, and had made his disapproval clear enough the day he came over to the Headquarters to 'discuss' the matter. Akikaze had patiently put up with the rants of his old friend and leader for a good fifteen minutes or so before he explained the reason behind his action.

If he hadn't inducted the young Uchiha heir into Black Ops, then surely Danzo would have found a way to bring the boy to his side, and that was something that could not be allowed to happen. It was not a well known fact, but the Uchiha clan was already on shaky grounds with the village elders, especially after the Kyuubi attack that had devastated their shinobi forces so badly that even now, nearly six years after the disaster, they were still struggling to recover from the drastic loss of manpower—as well as that of their greatest Hokage, the Yondaime.

Not many knew of the fact that the Kyuubi had been led to attack Konoha, and that in theory, the Uchiha clan's accursed Sharingan had the power to order such an act from the fearsome bijuu. But the council of elders knew more about the secrets of the Uchiha clan than they were letting on, and it wasn't long before the suspicions arose. The changes that followed thereafter were unnoticeable to the civilian population, but it had been about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the face to the rest of Konoha's ninja forces.

All of a sudden, the proud and prominent Konoha Military Police found their power and connections within the village restricted and greatly diminished. Ranking promotions became a lot harder to obtain. High profile and village-sensitive missions were denied to those who bore the Uchiha name, and slowly but surely, they were being isolated from the nin community. In a village full of ninjas taught from young to look underneath the underneath, it was no surprise that the other great clans quickly saw what was going on, and even though they were not aware of exactly what the Uchiha had done to incur the wrath of the village elders and be treated so harshly as a whole, they could guess that it wasn't good.

And so the Uchiha clan saw their influence amongst their peers suffer for something beyond their control, and there was nothing they could do about it. Fortunately, Lady Luck smiled down on them still, for it turned out that their heir was a once-in-five-lifetimes genius, an undeniable _tensai_ of the highest degree when it came to the shinobi arts and related warfare. The boy was only ten years old, but from what Akikaze had seen in his Chuunin Exam matches, he had untapped potential and so much raw, natural ability that it was impressive to see in one so young. Uchiha Itachi had more talent in his little finger than most nin had in their entire existence, and as such, it was very important for the future of Leaf that such naturally gifted children of Konoha not be led astray by the greed and ambitions of those with delusions of grandeur, those that didn't mind making use of anyone to fulfill their private goals and aspirations.

Konoha had already lost more than her share of talented and brave shinobi in the Kyuubi attack; there was no need to ask for more trouble, which was exactly what they were going to get if Koharu, Homura, and Danzo continued their silent boycott of the Uchiha clan. The elderly ANBU Commander wouldn't be surprised if their damaging actions would eventually breathe life to a self-fulfilling prophecy of their own making, and that the Uchiha clan might be forced to revolt against such unfair treatment, or worse, attempt to retaliate. Akikaze tsked irritably as his thoughts took a darker turn.

Damn Koharu and Homura for believing that utter load of drivel that Danzo had been feeding them, and damn all three of them for thinking that Sarutobi had 'gone soft' with age, had become weak and feeble, all because the Third had decided not to be too hasty in condemning an entire clan to disgrace and charges of treason. There had been no proof that the Uchiha had been involved in the Kyuubi fiasco, no hint of discontentment whatsoever from that clan that might have indicated that they were plotting to destroy their own village, but of course, the village elders had always erred on the side of caution, and the Uchiha were judged guilty until proven innocent.

The ANBU Commander did not know for sure why Danzo was so diligently stirring up unease amongst the Council of Elders, especially when it came to the Uchiha, but he had a pretty good guess. Akikaze put his pen down on the desk and scowled, his bushy, reddish grey brows furrowed together. The opportunistic vulture had been trying for years, without success, to get the clan of Sharingan wielders to his side, but Fugaku had been smart enough not to get involved with whatever scheme Danzo was cooking. Akikaze was willing to bet that the wily old fox was now trying to force the Uchiha's cooperation by trapping them neatly into a corner, which was exactly why the ANBU Commander was equally adamant to make sure that would not be the case.

The old man pinched the bridge of his nose. He was getting way too old to deal with this kind of bullshit. It was bad enough that even though they had recently gotten out of the war with Iwa and survived the Kyuubi attack, they were still recovering, recouping their losses, painstakingly resetting the information networks that had been destroyed, rebuilding relations with the other villages whilst showing only a strong front, carefully hiding away all signs of weaknesses that might be perceived by their enemies and other opportunistic foes. The last thing they needed was to have to watch their backs within the village as well, which was exactly what was happening.

Truly, if not for the fact that Sarutobi had personally asked him to resume his position, he would have retired years ago, to hell with this godforsaken village and the responsibilities he had to it. He had already given too much, sacrificed too much for Konoha, and the elderly ANBU Commander's sharp green eyes became slightly distant as he allowed himself to immerse briefly in the memories of the past and the rueful, but hardly productive, train of thoughts.

His time as ANBU Commander should have come and gone. It should have been another who was supposed to sit on this chair now, to give orders to his men and watch over the safety of Konoha and its Yondaime Hokage. That boy had been a genius as well, and had been trained from birth to become his successor, the next ANBU _shousui_.

His name was Akikaze Suigyouku, and he was the best son that anyone could have asked for.

Suigyouku had held the title of _fukushousui_ when the Kyuubi attacked Konoha, and in a desperate bid to buy time for the Fourth to ready his Hakke no Fuin Shiki and Shiki Fuujin, his only son and heir had led five detachments of ANBU on a suicide run against the rampaging Nine-Tails. None of them had returned alive, their bodies never found, but nonetheless, the mission had been a success. Together, the highly specialized group of heavy combat ANBU teams had dealt so much damage to the bijuu that it had backed off for three days, allowing Namikaze Minato to complete the design of his fuinjutsu, sealing the demon fox into his own son as his soul was ripped out of him and devoured by the Death God.

The Yondaime had been hailed as a hero, the greatest Hokage to have ever lived, whereas ironically enough, his young, orphaned son was treated with less respect than one would give a piece of garbage.

'I wonder what you would think of your beloved village now, Minato,' the old man with a shock of faded reddish-white hair pondered bitterly. 'If you could just see the way they abuse your boy.'

The Yellow Flash had always had such faith and love for his village, though sometimes, Akikaze wondered if Konoha truly deserved such loyalty from her ninja. It was a treacherous thought, but the elderly ANBU Commander no longer cared about what was appropriate and what was not. He was old, he had seen so much in all the years he had lived, and to be honest, there wasn't much left in this village that he had been affiliated to from birth that he would willingly fight for anymore. Only the Third's insistence that he resume his duties as Commander to the ANBU forces had kept him from seeking an early grave to join his wife and son in death, and perhaps, his old friend Sarutobi just knew him all too well.

For even now, nearly six years after the Kyuubi attack, it still hurt to think of his son's sacrifice. In the span of one night, the only other member of his family was gone. His only child, that wonderful being his deceased wife had given her own life to bring into this world some thirty over years ago, that he himself had singlehandedly raised from birth to become the proud, capable young man who should have become the Fourth's right hand just like his own father had for the Third, had willingly traded his own existence for that of his village.

When Akikaze Kokkai closed his eyes, he could still see in his mind the back profile of his son as he walked away, the jagged mane of crimson red hair that marked the members of their family partially concealed by the porcelain mask, armored and equipped in his ANBU uniform as his heir left to meet his fate. The ANBU _fukushousui_ had returned to beg his father for forgiveness and understanding for that last mission he had to take, and in a moment of hurt anger and denial, Kokkai had granted him neither. It was a decision that the old man would grow to regret for the rest of his life, for that was the last time he saw Suigyouku.

Kokkai was the last living member of the Akikaze clan, and it felt so wrong that he had outlived his own son. Now, he could admit to himself that he was so damn proud of Suigyouku's brave sacrifice, but the notion that his boy, the embodiment of the very best of himself and his wife, his pride and joy, an intelligent living, breathing person, was now nothing more than a mere name on a piece of memorial stone was a hard pill to swallow. It was for that same reason that he had been putting off the inevitable task of training the next ANBU Commander for so many years, though the lack of a suitable candidate had also played a good part in his decision to do so.

Until now, that is.

After listening to his ANBU Commander's sound reasoning, Sarutobi had no choice but to agree with the decision for Uchiha Itachi to remain in the ANBU. His reluctant agreement did not come without a price, however. Kokkai had to promise his old friend that he would personally watch over the youth's growth in exchange, as well as start searching and training a successor to be the next ANBU Commander. And surprisingly enough, the Uchiha boy was turning out to be one such possible candidate, even though he was still a bit too young to undertake the heavy responsibilities at the moment.

With a quiet sigh, Kokkai picked up his pen again, returning his attention to the report that he had been perusing carefully. Against all odds, the youngest ANBU trainee in the history of Konoha had exceeded the stringent expectations of ANBU entry criteria, and it seemed that his instructors had nothing but praise for the boy's performance on the field, given grudgingly or otherwise, in the course of the last six months of unceasing strenuous conditioning and training that were planned specifically to push the recruits to their absolute limit. The training camp forced the aspiring ANBU to either break and drop out, or further hone their abilities drastically in order to survive another day. It separated the weak-willed from the strong and weeded out those who were not suitable for their line of work. By the time the camp was concluded, only less than a quarter of recruits were left, and even then, the remaining recruits still had to undergo one last evaluation exam by ANBU Captains whose teams were in active rotation to determine their suitability to become ANBU.

Today was Uchiha Itachi's turn, and his examiner should be returning right about…now.

As if on cue, there was a discreet knock on the door, though Akikaze was not surprised. He had expected the presence of this particular Captain, and disregarding the young man's eccentricities outside of the ANBU uniform, nineteen year old Hatake Kakashi was painstakingly punctual and purely professional whenever he donned the porcelain mask.

"Enter."

Kokkai watched as the knob turned and the door opened silently, and the dog-masked, silver-haired ANBU appeared in the door frame. Fully armored in ANBU uniform, Inu entered the room, closed the door behind him, and proceeded to move soundlessly towards his _shousui_.

"How was the test mission?" the aged Commander asked by way of greeting.

"It was a success," the slightly muffled tone reported back calmly, almost lazily. "The subject worked well with my team and displayed exemplary conduct for a trainee. He appears to be aware of his own limitations and has made measures to counter his weak points, and at the same time, he has no trouble keeping up with the rest of the team. He possesses an excellent grasp in operational planning and strategic maneuvering, especially when it comes to predicting the actions and reactions of the targets. He took out two B-ranked missing-nin in the raid, and his kills were clean and not drawn out, very efficient. I will write up a full report on the details later, _shousui_-sama."

Akikaze's green eyes narrowed slightly.

"He took out two B-ranked nukenin? By himself?" the old man repeated in a level tone that spoke of nothing more than impassive curiosity. Inu nodded once in affirmative. It was an impressive feat for an ANBU trainee and especially so for a ten year old boy, but that wasn't what Akikaze was concerned about. "I understand that the boy hasn't killed prior to this. How is he reacting?"

Kakashi's emotionless dog mask stared back unflinchingly. "He did not freeze in the middle of the mission. He took his kills pretty well."

The ANBU Commander did frown this time around, mildly alarmed. They were not in a time of war; it was definitely not normal for a ten year old boy to 'take his kills pretty well.' "What are your personal opinions, Inu? Will he require psychiatric evaluation? Have you detected any sociopathic patterns in the boy's behavior?"

ANBU was one of the most high-stress, high-pressure jobs amongst the other ninja ranks. The last thing they needed was to allow a mentally unhinged person into the organization. Thankfully enough, the ANBU Captain shook his head. "Negative. I do not think that he was immune to his actions," the silver-haired teen reported factually. "He concealed it well in favor of completing the mission, but I don't believe that he took particular enjoyment out of the kills."

That was a relief. Young Itachi was brimming with potential; it would have been disappointing if he turned out to be a head case, especially since Akikaze was considering the boy's likelihood of becoming his personal apprentice. To be honest, there were better candidates amongst the Black Ops that he could choose to train to become the next successor, and in fact, Kakashi was one such possible option, but the young man had been part of the Legendary Team Seven, _the Team of the Hokage_, that appeared once in every few generations, and he was quite certain that Sarutobi had plans for the Hatake.

However, the fact that Uchiha Itachi was still young could very well work in his favor after all. The boy would certainly be easier to mold into the role of a loyal, powerful warrior worthy of guarding his Hokage should Akikaze choose to relinquish the position of ANBU _shousui_ in the future, not to mention his clan would most likely be more than eager and thus cooperative in his training of their heir.

"It is my understanding that all Academy students have been given a standard explanation of how to deal with their first kills," the dog-masked Kakashi continued quietly then. "But I will recommend that the new ANBU trainee attend a few counseling sessions by our own psychiatrist."

Akikaze silently agreed with his Captain. Unprecedented genius or not, the Uchiha _tensai_ was only a young boy still, not fully matured, and thus was quite susceptible to suffering from deep mental trauma from the type of dirty work that ANBU normally undertook.

There was a reason why even full-fledged adult Jounin were reluctant to remain in the services of the Black Ops for too long, it was often said that entering ANBU was a one way trip to hell. Only the strongest and the most disciplined could hope to remain sane in the harsh and bleak regiment of the _Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai_. It was rare, but there had been cases in the past where members of the Black Ops had gone berserk, unable to cope with the sheer pressure of the job, and had to be put down like a rabid animal to prevent them from turning on their own comrades.

The ANBU Commander certainly had no wish to risk such a possibility with the Uchiha heir; the boy was a precious asset to Konoha, for political reasons as well as his talent and intelligence, and such advantages could not be allowed to waste away.

"Very well, we will do as you say. In that case, does that mean you agree that Uchiha Itachi should be allowed to enter ANBU?"

"He has the abilities as well as the proper mindset to work in an ANBU team," Kakashi agreed slowly, after a brief pause. "He will be an advantage to the force…but he is too young," the silver-haired young man concluded simply.

Akikaze nodded in acknowledgement of that fact, now aware that even though Kakashi did recognize the talents of the Uchiha heir, he was also concerned by Itachi's age or lack thereof. "We don't normally bring in children to fill the ANBU ranks, and it's something that is virtually unheard of in times of peace like now, but due to certain circumstances, the Hokage has given his permission to bring Uchiha Itachi into the Black Ops. What I want to know is if you feel that he is capable enough to undertake the responsibility of being one of the ANBU."

The Inu mask prevented the old, reddish-grey haired elder from reading Kakashi's expression but Akikaze had faith that his Captain would understand. The Hatake had been a child genius himself, and there wasn't much he didn't see. The fact that the ANBU Commander had taken a personal interest in the Uchiha heir should be more than telling enough.

At last, Kakashi replied, his tone calm and decisive. "Yes, Uchiha Itachi is definitely ANBU material."

The ANBU _shousui_ nodded.

"In that case, I will mark him down as our newest member, and I want him on your squad ASAP, Kakashi," Akikaze did not ask, he merely commented as if it was already done. Not surprisingly, the Hatake nodded in agreement, having already guessed as much.

"You have a slot on your team that needs to be filled, and from what I see, the boy is easily a genjutsu specialist like most of his family, as well as a mid to close range ninjutsu fighter. His taijutsu is above average, and will likely improve further when he hits his growth spurt and is able to build up some bulk," the ANBU Commander observed.

"I have no plans to interfere with how you arrange your team formation, but it is imperative that you observe him for any sign of psychological instability. I'm not concerned about his abilities right now, and am more interested in finding out the extent of his mental strength, so you will report directly back to me should you see any…strange tendencies."

"As I recall, you entered ANBU young as well, so you should be able to relate to Itachi better than any of the other Captains, which is why I choose you to watch him. Having gone through more or less the same things as he will, you are less likely to miss any signs that the others would have dismissed, and I will give you six more months to fully evaluate his mental state as well as to show him the way we ANBU do things."

Akikaze rested his elbows on the table and interlocked his gnarled, bony fingers together, his sharp green eyes resting on one of his best ANBU _taichou_ at the moment. "If everything is still going smoothly by then, I will elevate your Team Status to code Green-Blue-Red, and your team will only undertake A and S-ranked missions from then on, so I advise you to inform your other members of this and start training them hard in the six month grace period that I'm allotting you."

This time around, Kakashi's surprise was evident in the way his whole body stilled with shock.

"_Shousui_-sama, it is not my place to ask, but why…?"

Akikaze gave the silver-haired Inu a humorless smirk. "No boy, I'm not senile yet, in case you are wondering," the old man stated calmly. "It's not the usual way we do things, but the boy will need this type of constant exposure in order to rise up to Captain rank quickly."

Before Kakashi could ask, Akikaze continued.

"If all goes according to plan, he will become your replacement. You are lucky Sarutobi wants you out of ANBU, if not, I would have happily made plans to chain you here to this organization for the rest of your miserable life, boy."

A harsh, hacking laugh of amusement rattled out of the old man at the mild air of unease that appeared around his Captain, but cut off abruptly as sharp green eyes pierced into the eye holes of the Inu mask. Akikaze shook his head once, his jagged, shaggy hair, now more gray than the pure crimson red that it once was, settling around his leathery, age-hued features, hardened and worn from a life of bitterness and grief.

"I have high expectations for this one. Do not let me down, Kakashi."

* * *

For the longest time, six year old Sakura stared at the boy standing in front of her home, her eyes large on her face and her cherubic mouth parted in surprise.

The little girl clutched the door tightly with her hands as a gamut of expressions ran across her features, from shock to disbelief to recognition, and then to hope and joy as her shoulders started to shake slightly and her eyes shimmered with the strength of her emotions.

The boy was a bit taller and ganglier than the little girl child had last seen, his raven hair slightly longer now, his form lean and wiry, his cheekbones more pronounced. His hawk-like dark eyes were sharp but blank, and his pale face was impassive and gave nothing away, almost like that of an emotionless doll.

Still, despite the changes, she clearly remembered him, was not instinctively frightened by the deadened, dangerous air that he carried around him now. But as he stared at her with an outwardly apathetic facade, her eyes squeezed shut with distress, her face screwed up in a grimace that she was trying so hard to contain, _and she started to cry_.

Distantly, he felt his insides squeeze with something akin to sorrow at the sight of her tears. That was strange; he had thought that he had already successfully numbed himself to what others thought of him, distancing himself emotionally to the point where nothing should have affected him anymore.

_Just do, don't question, don't think, don't feel._

It was a simple motto that had gotten him through the worst of the past six months of ANBU training and missions and the part of him that was pure shinobi was disturbed that it was still not enough when it came to this young girl child.

The rest of him stoically welcomed the discomforting sensation caused by her distress. This was his punishment and he accepted it.

It was not a good idea to come here today, he realized that now. He had deliberated long and hard over this visit, and it seemed that he had made a mistake. His anxious eagerness to see her again had made him selfish. It had been so long since he last saw her, but she was too young still, too young to understand how he had clung tenaciously onto the memory of her in the last six months of hell that he had to endure—the pure smiling face of a little pink-haired girl who held her arms out to him and looked at him with such trust and lack of censure—uncharacteristically nervous and hoping against hope that she would not blame him for his abrupt absence from her life in the last half a year, that she would not condemn him for the things that he had done.

And all she had done so far was take one look at him and start crying. The desperate panic swelled further within him, but for the life of him, he just could not do anything but stand there and watch her helplessly as fat droplets of tears rolled pitifully down her face.

Coming here was a very bad idea, he thought again, but he could not seem to help himself. He had such a strong compulsion to go to her, his very instincts clamoring to see her the moment he was able to, that he didn't think to fight it. The little bit of peace that her presence brought him was simply unforgettable, and _he needed to see her_.

He didn't expect her to cry, though, wondered briefly why it hurt to be rejected by this child. Why else would she shed tears? He could tell that just looking at him had upset her, which in turn distressed him as well; he should leave—

She didn't give him the chance to do any such thing. Before he could withdraw, she left her place by the door frame, running towards him with a muffled whimper of 'Itachi-kun' as she threw her arms around his middle, nearly knocking him off balance as she gripped him tightly and buried her face into his shirt. She really did start to cry in earnest then, her small shoulders heaving as she bawled into his stomach. Her contradicting action alarmed and bewildered him, and formerly dull and deadened onyx eyes flickered slowly to life as he looked down at her head of shiny pink hair as she held on to him for dear life. She had a surprisingly strong grip, he noted, and at the same time, he gingerly rested his hands on her shoulders.

She was still small and fragile under his fingers, and the moment he touched her, something within him tightened briefly before relaxing, and the stiff, overwhelming tension in his own shoulders seemed to ease a little.

"Sakura." His voice was quiet and eerily detached, but that did not seem to bother her. She continued to sob, her little fingers tightening into the hem of his shirt.

"You came back," the little girl cried with relief. "You came back, you came back."

He did not understand the reason for her tears.

"Why do you cry?" he asked slowly, curiously.

Sakura refused to look at him, stubbornly keeping her face pressed to the side of his shirt. In the end, the Uchiha heir had to dislodge her slowly and crouch down, lowering himself to her eye level to observe her. She looked at him reluctantly then, her small face red and blotchy with tears as she sniffled pitifully and gave him a particularly tragic stare.

"Where did you go?" the young six year old asked in a hitched, terribly hurt, tone. "I waited for so long and you never came, then, t-then Sasuke-kun said that you were never coming back!" Almost as if she remembered the day the younger Uchiha had gloomily announced that she was never going to see Itachi-kun again, Sakura shook and cried some more, shuddering with the force of her sobs as her face screwed up with pure upset. "_Y-you never said goodbye and I missed you so much!!_"

Itachi's eyes widened slightly at the child's impassioned declaration, and with tears dripping pathetically down her face, it was obvious that she was speaking the truth. Her lips were trembling, pulled down in an unhappy grimace, and her large eyes were swimming with tears. She sniffled noisily again before shuffling nearer to the older boy, her arms coming up to curl around his neck, blindly seeking comfort from him. He stiffened slightly at the physical contact, but did not push her away. Sakura buried her face into his neck, her small frame shaking as she held onto him tightly and cried some more.

Itachi looked at the little girl in front of him. Slowly, hesitantly, his arms went around those small, fragile shoulders, fitting her more firmly against his chest. She was so young and warm and alive against him, and his dark, unreadable eyes closed briefly as he tightened his hold on her instinctively. She was hiccupping softly by now, her tears abating even as she nuzzled into the side of his neck blindly, embracing him with the strength of her six year old body, trying her best to show him just how happy she was that he had come back to her life.

She missed him. In the months that he was gone, someone outside his family had noticed. _She_ had noticed, young as she was. And she had cared enough to be hurt by his absence. It was a humbling experience, made even more so by the guileless, genuine emotions that this young girl had for him.

When Itachi opened his eyes again, his formerly desolate onyx gaze was _soft _as he fixed his attention on the quietly sniffling girl child before him. He held her more protectively now, almost as if possessively guarding her from the rest of the world, personally vested in seeing to her safety more than before.

Then, he raised his gaze from Sakura to her mother, who had made no effort to conceal the fact that she had been observing her daughter's interaction with him.

Haruno Miharu stood by the doorway in silence and had watched as her little girl soothed the tormented, raven-haired boy with her mere presence alone. Her young daughter made it look so easy, but the normally distant, inexpressive Uchiha heir seemed to draw great comfort in Sakura in a way that was simply unexplainable. Miharu could tell that the bond the two children had was special, almost eerie and disturbing in the intensity these two shared between each other, instinctively gravitating to one another in a downright bizarre manner that gave the older Haruno an uncomfortable feeling of forewarning.

This was the third time Miharu had witnessed the intent, absorbed manner in which eleven year old Uchiha Itachi and her own six year old daughter had immersed themselves in whenever they happened to be in each other's proximity, and it was no less disconcerting to watch. The boy was a good five years older than her child, and because they were unrelated in any way, their closeness and familiarity with each other was…_strange_. Then, there was also the well known fact that he was the successor to the head of the Uchiha clan, whereas her little one was but an ordinary civilian child. There was no doubt that if his highborn family ever caught wind of this unusual relationship, there would be consequences.

Looking at the wary manner in which young Itachi was regarding her at the moment, that stunningly _gentle_ expression displayed on his face earlier turning completely blank once more, the boy tensing slightly again as his attention was no longer reserved for Sakura, Miharu could not help but shiver inwardly with premonition—it was as if the past was repeating itself again, a ninja and a civilian. And she knew from experience that such a coupling would end in tragedy; her lover had died defending Konoha from the Kyuubi's attack, and she had been left all alone to raise their daughter, a young mother, a single parent to her sweet, sensible, intelligent little Sakura who had to grow up faster than any of her peers, because Kaa-san was struggling to make ends meet and could barely even afford spare time with her wonderful daughter.

Now, as she watched her child lift her head and turn slightly to look at her with curious, inquisitive eyes, her tears drying on her face and no longer crying, safe and content _and happy_ within the protective circle of the older boy's arms, Miharu did not know what to think.

This was the same boy who had protected and watched out for her Sakura time and again, and even as common sense was telling her that it was not a good idea to encourage this bond between her daughter and the young Uchiha _tensai_, Miharu did not miss seeing the way Itachi looked when he stared at Sakura. He had been awfully pale and withdrawn, the overwhelming stress and pressure on his young face apparent and heartbreaking to see, but just a brief moment of interaction with her daughter and it was as if some of the heavy burdens had been lifted off his shoulders, and Miharu could not find it within herself to deny the boy this small bit of peace that he had somehow found in her little girl. The rumors that surround the child prodigy Uchiha Itachi often praised his astonishing abilities as a ninja, but the blonde had always taken the gossips with a healthy pinch of salt.

If Itachi-kun had been anything like Sakura's father, then Miharu doubted that the boy enjoyed his position very much.

The young mother felt her resolve falter at the thought, and why, oh why, did her little girl always attract the attention of those with wounded souls? Itachi-kun was obviously one, and then, there was the…_Kyuubi Vessel_…

Miharu still did not know what to think of young Uzumaki Naruto. The memories of the Nine Tail's attack six years ago were still fresh in her mind, the terror and the grief, the mind numbing fear for her baby's safety, the anguish of losing the one man she had ever loved… Haruno Miharu had flinched inwardly the first time she saw the little blonde haired boy with the whiskered face, and it was made even worse when her innocent daughter had proclaimed the Jinchuuriki 'her best friend.' The aghast mother had been ready to snatch Sakura away from the vessel when Naruto had given her daughter the most heartfelt look of joy at her girl's simple declaration, and once Miharu saw that hopeful, pitiful expression, she quickly found herself unable and unwilling to shatter little Naruto's happiness, especially when the poor child looked as if he had experienced so little of it in his young life.

And it was for the same reason why Miharu was hesitating now, when it came to the Uchiha heir.

_Like mother like daughter, my dearest love… _

She could almost hear the rich tone of quiet amusement of her deceased husband, and unbidden, her heart ached. Six years had passed since his death, and she still missed him so much. She wondered if the pain and loneliness would ever go away, and blinked slowly to focus back on the situation at hand, trying her best to will away the image of another couple superimposed upon the two children a few meters away from her.

"Kaa-san?" Sakura asked uncertainly then, looking alternatively between her mother and her Itachi-kun. He still held on to her, but now looked blank and guarded once more.

Miharu decided to put aside her apprehension for the moment. Dark, unreadable eyes met her own calm, open violet gaze, and she gave her daughter and the Uchiha preteen a small smile.

"Hello, Itachi-kun. Sakura has told me a lot about you. Would you like to come in for a bit?"

* * *

The humble apartment that the Haruno family lived in was small and cramped; there was a tiny living area, a mini-kitchenette, a simple toilet and two bedrooms. It was nothing like the grand, formal clan estates that were the Uchiha compound, but looked lived in and…comfortable, if that was the correct word to describe Itachi's current surroundings. The furniture was worn but the place neat and tidy. There were pictures of mother and daughter in various stages of their lives scattered through the apartment, as well as small, personal trinkets lying here and there that gave life to what would have been an empty home.

The Uchiha heir felt mildly uncomfortable to be in such closed confines, almost as if he was observing, without permission, a glimpse of the Haruno's lives, rudely intruding on the privacy of something he had no right to even look at.

He knelt on the floor stiffly, his spine straight as a lance as he rested his weight against the back of his heels, knees slightly apart as he sat before the coffee table in the traditional _seiza_ pattern. His expression was impassive as he stared straight ahead, and sitting much more informally beside him, Sakura glanced at her tensed friend worriedly.

"Itachi-kun, why are you scared?" she asked innocently. Kaa-san was busy making tea in the kitchenette, so that left Sakura to stay with their guest, a duty that the young girl was only more than happy to fulfill. She didn't want to leave the Uchiha's side, and so, stuck herself to him like a burr. "There's no need to be scared, my Kaa-san is a very nice person," she told him solemnly, instinctively seeking to reassure him, to ease away his concerns.

He shifted his gaze to her, once again inwardly startled that she had seen through his placid mask. Sakura was only six years old, but for some reason or another, she could already read him like a book. It was still a disturbing revelation for Itachi to comprehend, but the pink-haired girl's anxious, concerned demeanor as she stared at him seemed to make his disconcertment matter less.

Itachi relaxed imperceptibly, and as he continued to watch Sakura, he wondered to himself, _what am I going to do with you_?

"Tea's here!"

Miharu's voice preceded her as she emerged from the kitchen, bringing with her a small tray of mismatched cups that she proceeded to transfer onto the low table that the two children were at. It had been a warm day, so the blonde woman had prepared mugs of iced green tea for everyone, although there was also an extra something else for Sakura that the little girl immediately recoiled away and tried to hide behind Itachi when she saw the dreaded concoction.

Miharu removed the empty tray and placed it on the floor. She sighed. "Sakura…" the older Haruno spoke warningly.

The little girl shook her head stubbornly. "I don't want to take it, Kaa-san! Don't make me!"

"If you don't eat your medicine, you are not going to get well, young lady," her mother reprimanded sternly, even as Itachi looked at Sakura as well. It was evident now that the young girl was not feeling well, which certainly explained why she wasn't in the park when he went to look for her earlier today. Sakura shook her head once more, sniffling noisily and rubbing her slightly reddened nose.

"It tastes nasty and it makes me sleepy," Sakura protested pitifully. "I don't want to sleep! I want to stay with Itachi-kun!"

She was gripping his forearm with her small hands, sidling up to his side and looking at him with those large, green eyes, silently begging for him to help her out.

He stared at her blankly, understanding that she, in her own way, was throwing a small tantrum, and that could not be allowed, especially since her health was on the line. Stuck in his own inner turmoil and musing, he had missed the minute signs of sickness that she had been showing; the extra brightness in her eyes, the small hint of unnatural flush on her cheeks, the slight hoarseness in her voice. He had thought that they had been the residual effects from her earlier bout of crying, but now he realized the truth.

"You should take your medicine, Sakura," he spoke quietly, neutrally, but there was the slightest inflection in his modulated, polite voice that hinted of his feelings regarding this matter, and amazingly enough, the little pink haired girl immediately caught the mild nuances of the older boy's tone. Itachi-kun did not like her petulant behavior, though for a brief moment or so, she almost wanted to protest, only to lower her gaze in shame when she saw her mother's exasperated countenance.

"I'm sorry, Kaa-san…" the miserable little girl apologized contritely at last in a small voice. "I will take my medicine."

Miharu was rather impressed with how easily the Uchiha boy had convinced her fussing daughter to take her medication, though she had to hide her approving expression when the boy frowned subtly, almost guiltily, at Sakura's dejected mannerisms. It seemed that young Itachi wasn't as emotionally dead as he made himself out to be, and the fact that he obviously cared for her little girl quickly made him perfectly alright in her book.

When Sakura reached out tentatively for the bowl of black medicinal brew and quickly swallowed it down, her small face blanching, eyes watering at the bitter taste, Itachi only hesitated briefly before his arm came up slowly to wrap around her shoulder, steadying her, gently drawing her smaller form to him, silently lending her comfort. His free hand relieved her of the emptied bowl which he returned to the table, before grasping hold of one of the glasses of iced tea on the table which he proceeded to put in her hands. The little girl was only too grateful, taking quick gulps of green tea to wash away the nasty taste of the traditional medicine.

The Uchiha heir helped her return the empty container to the table when she was done, and Sakura made a small, kittenish churr in her throat as she clung to Itachi's side like a stubborn koala, content to sit closely beside him, reluctant to leave his side. Similarly, the raven-haired boy did not seem to mind the way her daughter was stuck to him like a particularly persistent barnacle, and watching them both like that, Miharu came to the abrupt understanding that she really had nothing to worry about when it came to Uchiha Itachi's intentions towards her child.

The subtle, understated intimacy between the two children was so innocent, _so pure_, that Miharu now knew for sure that it would be cruel of her to try to shatter whatever bond it was that held these two so enthralled with each other.

Silently, the blonde woman took the empty cup and bowl on the table and transferred them onto the tray before standing up gracefully and excusing herself to the kitchen to return the dishes to the sink. A small smile, almost melancholic in nature, flickered across her face as she turned away from the living area; her daughter was so young still, but it seemed that she had already made up her choice when it came to the Uchiha heir. The fact that the boy had come all the way here just to look for her child spoke of his attachment to Sakura as well, and if this wasn't a sign regarding the decision she was about to make, then she didn't know what else was.

One way or another, it seemed that Sakura's life would be intertwined with that of ninjas, something that Miharu had always been hesitant about. At the same time, it was also a life that she knew her child's father had always wanted for Sakura. Miharu sighed inwardly, conflicted as she quickly ran the water to wash the dishes. By the time she returned to the small living area, her young daughter was pressed sleepily beside her Itachi-kun, the latter now sitting in a more informal manner to accommodate her child's weight and the way she was cuddling unabashedly up against him.

Miharu sat down across the table from her child and the Uchiha heir, and proceeded to make some small talk with the preteen, her eyes watching her daughter closely the entire while as the young girl started to nod off, her eyes drooping from a combination of the effects of the medicine, as well as her physical exertion earlier, when she had cried and greeted her Itachi-kun. At the same time, Miharu was pleasantly surprised to learn that the raven-haired eleven year old was a rather polite and well brought up boy, nothing like some of the more arrogant, supercilious members of his clan.

Itachi seemed to be a quiet child by nature; he didn't necessarily speak much, preferring to observe his surroundings and the people around him with a sharp, discerning gaze that seemed to see everything. He answered Miharu's casual questions with impeccable manners, albeit slightly distant and stoic, and the blonde started to understand that the gentle regard he was capable of was reserved solely for her daughter.

At last, Sakura seemed to lose the fight stay awake completely, and promptly fell asleep. The quiet conversation between her mother and Itachi-kun had lulled her into a peaceful state of mind, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and before long, the pink-haired child was slumped against the arm of her favorite Uchiha, apparently out cold.

Miharu gazed upon her sleeping child with something akin to exasperation. Even in sleep, she had held onto the raven-haired boy's arm tightly, almost as if deathly afraid that he would leave her again. The young mother slowly returned her attention to the Uchiha heir.

"My daughter seems irrationally attached to you," the woman remarked.

Itachi stared at her neutrally. Inwardly, he wondered if Haruno-san disapproved of his…highly unusual relationship with her young daughter. He tensed slightly, imperceptibly, but other than that, revealed no other visible reaction that she could detect. Before he could venture a somewhat appropriate reply to Haruno-san's unasked question, the blonde surprised him by shaking her head slightly and smiling at him.

"Don't look so worried, Itachi-kun," the young mother assured him with gentle amusement. "I have no intention to stop you from seeing my daughter. If anything, I ought to thank you for keeping an eye out for her."

The boy merely continued to stare at her, hesitant to accept what she was saying. But Miharu was not done yet. Gathering herself inwardly, Miharu hoped that she would not live to regret this decision that she was about to make.

"I have decided to sign her up to join the Ninja Academy in a few weeks' time. My Sakura is always talking about you, you know. I believe she wants to be just like you."

Itachi froze at that, but unperturbedly, Miharu continued. "You came to her when she most needed your help, you see. So she wants to become a ninja to try to help others as well."

_That's not true_, the Uchiha heir wanted to protest that bit, _because I cannot even help myself._ The eleven year old ANBU looked down at the little girl beside him. His gaze warmed imperceptibly as it landed on Sakura's innocent, sleeping face, and his fingers reached out to awkwardly brush away the errant strands of pink hair from her closed eyelids. Miharu wondered if he knew just how telling his action was.

"She has helped me too," he whispered softly, almost inaudibly, at last. He returned his attention to Haruno-san, the unexpected gentleness in obsidian eyes fading quickly away to be replaced by his usual apathetic facade. He drew himself together, every inch the proud Uchiha heir, and for a brief moment, Miharu caught a glimpse of the man that this child would one day become.

"Your daughter is important to me, Haruno-san," Itachi admitted freely, unflinchingly. There was no boyish embarrassment behind his calm profession, no sputtering shyness that boys his age would have experienced when giving out such a bold announcement. No, there was only absolute certainty. No other declaration followed his prior statement, but it was more than enough. He still didn't fully understand just what it was about young Sakura that could bring him great measures of peace, but her presence had proven time and again that she possessed the wondrous ability to comfort him, soothe the feelings of hopelessness and frustration that seemed to brew within him until surely he would one day explode from the sheer pressure of it all.

And that was why the mere admission of her importance to his sense of wellbeing could never compare to mere trivialities like 'cooties' or silly, immature, boyhood pride or childish disgust that he was so interested in a little girl. In any other circumstances, Itachi would have wished desperately to be just like any other normal boys his age, to hold a healthy disdain for those of the opposite gender and worry only about his homework and what mischief he could be up to after school, _but he was not normal and he never would be_. It was almost sad that he really didn't understand what he was missing, but on the other hand, what he didn't have was no longer important.

For he now had Sakura, and he had to figure out how to continue keeping her by his side.

It was for that purpose that Itachi could sense a potential ally in Sakura's mother, and thus subtly altered his behavior to treat her as such. He was aware of his current precarious position. His involvement with little Haruno Sakura was most certainly not part of his clan elders' decision, and should word leak out to his clan that he had a weakness in the form of one young girl child, Itachi had no doubt that they would do whatever it took to remove this 'distraction' from their heir. Genius he might be, but he was still young as well, despite his impressive rank in Konoha's ninja forces, and therefore his influence was limited. That would change as he grew older, but for now, it was imperative that Haruno-san saw his relationship with her daughter as one that was perfectly harmless.

Thankfully enough, the blonde woman seemed to approve of him.

"I think you are important to Sakura too." Miharu smiled at him again. "You are a good influence for my Sakura. I never wanted her to join the Academy, you know, but that was all she could look forward to after she met you. My little girl was very timid and shy, very much like myself when I was at her age, but somehow, you managed to cure her of that. She's so much stronger now, and I'm so proud of her. Her father would be too, and now that she has proven herself, I don't think he would forgive me if I denied Sakura this chance of possibly becoming a ninja just like he was."

The blonde woman glanced affectionately, almost wistfully at her sleeping child who was all but cuddled up against the protective form of the older boy. Once again, the physical reminder that Uchiha Itachi was a good five years older than her daughter, who not awhile ago, was still a laughing, fuzzy-haired toddler who was only learning how to walk and speak, was about as conspicuous as a slap to the face. This time around, Miharu didn't mind as much.

Her gaze saddened with mild regret. Her Sakura was a sweet, understanding child who was made to grow up faster than her peers due to the fact that Miharu wasn't capable enough to provide properly for her, and on the other end of the spectrum, there was Itachi-kun, who was obviously going through the same situation, even if their family backgrounds were so vastly different.

It was no wonder that they found solace in each other, and perhaps, that wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Miharu gazed upon the boy and her daughter again. This time around, her smile was a tad larger, and still so gentle that Itachi was immediately reminded of his own mother.

"Please look after my Sakura-chan from now on, ne, Itachi-kun?"

_

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_

::tsuzuku::

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**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

First of all, please accept my sincerest apologies, ladies and gentlemen, for this late update. I was really, really busy with college entry paperwork/medical checkups for the past few weeks, and then I got caught up in a brief spate of manga marathon as I blitz through the awesomeness that are Soul Eater, Full Metal Alchemist, Beelzebub, Kekkaishi and Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn.

Okay, perhaps it wasn't such a brief spate after all, but rest assured dear readers, I will definitely finish 'cabbage patch' _with my dying will_!!

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Onto the next topic. For those who are not aware, Akikaze Kokkai, Akikaze Suigyouku, as well as Haruno Miharu are my OCs. Do not be confused if you haven't heard of them in Naruto-verse—you are not supposed to.

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Well, as you can see for this chapter, I have decided to provide/manufacture a reason why there will be no massacre this time, instead of the usual 'because I say so.'

First of all, I believe that canon!Itachi might have belonged to Root, since that secret faction is technically part of ANBU and we all know that Danzo likes to train Ne's members young, so I wouldn't be surprised if he had somehow gotten his hands on Itachi in canon-verse. It also explains why Danzo was able to override the Third's command and order the massacre if you think about it. So, in order to prevent the massacre, the first thing I did was to remove Danzo from the equation and put in Akikaze instead. As you probably know by now, Akikaze is the ANBU Commander, the General of the Hokage's private forces. By placing Itachi in his care, I have removed most of Danzo's influence, and at the same time, given the Uchiha clan a chance to redeem themselves in the eyes of the rest of Leaf, especially if Akikaze were to take Itachi as his apprentice.

I also believe that the Uchiha clan was forced by the actions of the village elders to attempt a coup d'état in canon-verse. Else wise, if they had always been so unhappy with Konoha, why didn't they leave with Uchiha Madara from the very beginning? Why didn't they try to defect during the chaotic war with Iwa? Why not attempt a takeover right after the Kyuubi attack, when the village was at its weakest? The fact that they planned the coup years later led me to believe that they were slowly forced to it only _after_ the attack. If the Yondaime had known even prior to sealing the Nine Tails that the bijuu had been led to attack Konoha, then I have reason to believe that the village elders would have possessed the same knowledge as well, which would in turn implicate the Uchiha clan because of their Sharingan, which would in turn cause the elders to suspect them, aka scapegoating.

It's unlikely that the elders (Homura, Koharu, Danzo) would confront the Uchiha clan outright about it; the Uchiha's bloodline limit was too much of a precious source of ninjutsu techniques for Konoha, amongst other things, to risk losing the entire clan to, say, another ninja village. Think; why else would the elders bend over so much to accommodate Sasuke in the first place? However, that didn't mean that they wouldn't be cautious enough to try to limit the Uchiha clan's power and connections, hence the silent boycott. The fact that the Konoha Military Police was created solely for the Uchiha might seem very prestigious and special, but I find it suspicious that the KMP in canon-verse was hinted only to deal with the internal workings of the village, almost as if for the higher-ups to keep a careful leash on the Uchiha clan itself. The fact that there was no more KMP after the Uchiha massacre only confirmed the fact that the police force was redundant, probably only a pretense used to control the Uchiha.

So, if my theory is correct, than as the boycott of the clan progressed through the years, it was only natural that the Uchiha were finally backed to a corner, left with no choice but to fight back, hence the planning of a coup, which would of course lead to the massacre and we will have our canon-verse Naruto—like I said, a fine example of a self-fulfilling prophecy thanks to the disastrous meddling of Konoha's United Council of Old Farts.

So, by implanting a small change like Akikaze's involvement, i.e. training Itachi to become his successor, the coup can be prevented (I think). It would cater to the clan elders' sense of pride to have their heir trained as the next ANBU _shousui_, to become the Hokage's right hand. It would at least be a change of pace compared to the usual KMP nonsense, so I feel that might actually work. At the same time, this will also provide a credible reason why Itachi was able to climb the ANBU ranks so quickly.

At least, that's what I think, and I'm sticking by it. Anyway, I hope none of you are lost in my crazy conspiracy theories. Feel free to drop me a PM or a review if there are any questions, and I promise I will try to get back to you.

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By the way, for those who are wondering about Itachi-chan's whereabouts, don't worry. He's locked safely in his cage because Miharu kaa-san doesn't want sick!Sakura to play with her pet and possibly get even more sick.

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According to the timeline, Kakashi should be nineteen years old, I think. I'm not sure when he entered ANBU and exactly when he left, but let's just assume that he joined the Black Ops shortly after the Kyuubi attack and hasn't quit yet in CP-verse.

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_Shousui_ roughly means 'commander' in Japanese. Similarly, _fukushousui_ would loosely translate to mean 'deputy-commander.'

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For readers who are bellyaching over how OOC Itachi is, please stop. The boy is only currently eleven years of age, and I feel that even though he possesses a stoic nature, that impassive mask of his is not fully developed yet. Why else would he have withdrawn from his clan during canon-verse, just prior to the Uchiha massacre, behaving erratically and bitterly proclaiming how 'weak' his clan was? He is partial to Sakura here, yes, because this is an ItaSaku fic after all, and it is my intention for him to slowly develop an attachment to Sakura. Also, do note that he does not extend that same gentleness/protectiveness to just about anyone else in the fic, nor is he exactly a ball of sunshine here, so I really fail to see the OOC-ness of his character.

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At the same time, I'd like to make it clear that Itachi and Sasuke still share a strong brotherly bond for each other. Perhaps I have not implied it well enough, but Sasuke absolutely adores his older brother and in turn, he is a very precious otouto to Itachi as well. It may appear as if Itachi is irrationally fixated on Sakura in CP-verse but that is not true. It seems that way because most of CP's chapters illustrates random encounters between Itachi and Sakura, but please be reminded that those occur gradually _through the years,_ and not as a daily progression.

Once again; Itachi is _not_ stalking Sakura. At the same time, I have no intention of focusing too much on the Itachi/Sasuke brotherly love for the main reason that this is an ItaSaku fic whereby the relationship between the latter couple should take center stage instead of the former. I'm sure most of you would agree, eh?

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Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

--paws


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** cabbage patch

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/General/Humor

**Word Count:** 9091

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #23, cabbage patch

**Rating: **M (Contains content suitable for mature teens and older)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Non-massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.

**Created on:** 24/07/09

**Completed on:** 28/11/09

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 12/12/09

**

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Chapter Six

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"Attention to medical staff! Attention to all medical staff! Incoming Code Red alert! All ANBU emergency personnel to return to their stations immediately!" the PA system in the Konoha General Hospital blared rudely amongst the myriad hallways of the medical facility, jarring the hospital body into action. What had been a quiet, idle evening quickly degenerated into a hectic night as medic-nin and doctors alike scrambled to save the lives of the squad of ANBU that had just been rushed into the emergency bay.

Four different teams of medics hurried out to receive their patients, all fully equipped with the tools of their trade, well prepared and standing by for an incident such as this. They dispersed efficiently, each group attached to a member of the ANBU, the healer-in-charge personally attending to the Captain himself. Those in the Black Ops were always given preferential medical treatment; it was one of the advantages that came with their very dangerous occupation. After all, they were a highly skilled, powerful, combative force that very much aided Konoha's defense, taking dangerous, highly sensitive missions for the village's intelligence networks as well as her internal _and_ external security. Therefore it was imperative that their survival came first, that priority medical aid was given to the ANBU whenever they required it.

Still, it was quite rare that an entire ANBU team would return heavily injured. The fact that this particular team was missing a member was duly noted but not commented on.

The masked ANBU Captain managed to wave away the healer-in-charge even though he was obviously favoring his right side, indicating broken ribs or more. Instead, Inu-san drew out what was obviously a sealing scroll from his vest and proceeded to unseal what looked like a huge hunk of ice on the ground before him. Upon closer observation, the medic-nin scattered around him were stunned to see the vague outline of another Konoha ANBU encased within the thick chunk of frozen water.

The dog-masked ANBU proceeded to direct the medic's attention to his subordinate, incidentally, the shortest member on his team.

"Prepare your strongest anti-venom," Inu-san's voice was muffled but no less commanding. "We had an encounter with the S-class nukenin Orochimaru. My teammate was run through by his Kusanagi no Tsurugi."

It was the barest description of the events that had occurred less than a few hours ago, one that the _taichou_ saw fit to report in order to give the medic-nin a better picture of what they were dealing with. The venom that coated the legendary Kusanagi was amongst the strongest and most deadly poisons known to Man, a bizarre cocktail of neurotoxins and hemotoxins that caused rapid organ degeneration and irreparable damage to the nervous system and brain. If Uchiha Itachi was to survive his mortal injuries, then he was going to need all the help he could get, as swiftly as possible.

A small explosion of shocked flurry occurred amongst the medic-nin at the news that this team had met Orochimaru _and_ survived to tell the tale. The head medic was not so easily rattled though. Yakushi Yoroi pointed to the _block of ice_ that encased the youngest member of the team from head to toe, and whereas the other healers wondered how it was possible to even save someone who was obviously dead and frozen into a giant cube of ice, the Chief Medical Officer of the Konoha Medical Unit Squad called forth a group of male orderlies to heft the slippery, cold slab of ice and human onto a gurney.

Leaving the remaining ANBU to the care of the two groups of competent medic-nin, Yoroi gestured for ANBU Captain Hatake to follow him as he started shouting orders for an operating theatre to be prepared, alongside with other unusually used machines like the temperature controlled blood warming apparatus.

"Do you have any internal injuries?" the experienced medic fired out to the silver-haired _taichou_ the moment he had the nurses and other related medical staff scrambling to do his bidding.

The ANBU Captain wearily lifted his mask from his face and slipped it to rest unobtrusively on the side of his head instead. The tension on the face of twenty year old Hatake Kakashi was not difficult to see. He shook his head in negative reply, and managed to keep up with the rapid pace the healer was setting as they trailed behind the gurney his frozen subordinate was currently lying on.

"My injuries are not life threatening," Kakashi stated to the medic and, not so coincidentally, ANBU's consultant healer. "What are the chances of his survival, Yakushi-san?"

"Not very high. But then again, considering the boy should have been dead hours ago, not very high is better than nothing," the healer replied bluntly. "Kusanagi's venom is legendary for quickly killing all its victims, after all. Who made the suggestion of putting him under?"

Kakashi looked tensed as he stared ahead at his young, comatose Uchiha subordinate.

"He suggested it himself. We were too far from Konoha when Orochimaru initiated the encounter, and he would have died within the next fifteen minutes with the amount of venom coursing through his system." Yoroi nodded in agreement; even through the thick layer of ice he could see the terrible extent of damage that the young Uchiha had taken from Kusanagi.

Kakashi continued briskly. "He noted that theoretically, he would have a better chance of survival—slim—but better than nothing, if we could induce clinical death via hypothermia. It would buy us at least two hours, more than enough time to return to Konoha to seek advanced medical aid. It was the last resort, for he mentioned that it was possible that he would not survive this."

Yoroi nodded once again.

"You are right," the head healer muttered, even as a nurse rushed up to pass the man the patient file before retreating just as quickly. "In any other circumstances, I would have greatly disapproved of this method. However, inducing clinical death is the only way to reduce the rate of injury accumulation; Kusanagi's venom cannot do further damage if Uchiha's system comes to a complete standstill. As it is now, the only problem I foresee is if he can be resuscitated back to life." The medic-nin frowned.

"I cannot believe you had him encased _in a block of ice_, of all things. The only cases of recorded clinical death survived at temperatures near zero degrees Celsius were all that of animals, for crying out loud. If he survives this, then it will truly be a miracle for the record books."

The _taichou's_ expression tightened visibly, even from behind his cloth mask. Kakashi could still see in his mind's eye Itachi's pale, tensed features as he hoarsely gave his permission for his Captain to envelop him in ice. The twelve year old boy was bleeding profusely from the Kusanagi-inflicted wound on his chest, his face taut from the agony of the venom eating away at him from the insides, and it had taken precious minutes for his body temperature to lower and for him to succumb to the deadly effects of intensive hypothermia. The ice had managed to stopper the rapid blood flow, and the moment Itachi ceased breathing, Kakashi had made sure to encase the Uchiha completely in thick ice, until it was as if the young ANBU was suspended in a coffin of transparent, slightly blue-tinted solid. Then he had sealed the entire mass, ice and human, into the scroll normally reserved for bringing the dead bodies of missing-nin back to Konoha for identification and forensic investigation, before returning swiftly to the village with the rest of the team.

The other two members of his squad, Ondori and Yagi, had not escaped the encounter with Orochimaru unscathed either. Like himself, they only had minimal direct contact with the snake Sannin, separated from each other and kept busy by a deadly combination of huge serpentine summons as well as high powered solid clones as the nukenin himself took on the youngest member of their team. It was a phenomenon in itself that not only had Itachi survived the fight against Orochimaru (barely), he had also somehow managed to drive off the rogue Sannin by himself, in the process severing the missing-nin's left hand _and_ returning the legendary Kusanagi Long Sword back into Leaf's possession, but at the near cost of his own life.

Orochimaru's interest in Itachi was troubling, and what a big mess this mission had turned out to be. It was supposed to be a routine border patrol that was anything but. Everything had gone to hell before they even got to complete a circuit around the territory they were supposed to cover, the entire team would probably be out of commission for a month at least, and _of course_ Hokage-sama and _Shousui_-sama were going to be demanding detailed reports for this incident. Not to mention, if Itachi did not survive this, Kakashi had no doubt that his clan was going to hold him solely responsible. The Uchiha elders were already gunning for him for his possession of Obito's Sharingan; god only knew that they would be baying for his blood if their precious heir died on his watch as well.

Kakashi fought the urge to groan in dismay; his ribs hurt like hell when he tried to breathe and speak properly as it was, there was no need to further aggravate his injuries without due cause.

_Itachi, you better come back to life, damn brat_, the Hatake Captain thought irritably at his stoic, young subordinate, _if you die and leave me to the mercy of those bloodthirsty clan members of yours, I swear I will cheerfully desecrate your corpse_.

Almost as if Yakushi-san had heard the ANBU _taichou's_ less than amiable thoughts towards his hapless teammate, the Chief Medical Officer spoke again.

"I think the boy has a good chance of survival, if his willpower is as strong as you have implied," Yoroi commented. Truly, to be willingly frozen alive, limbs and entire body locked and restrained by a thick slab of immovable ice and not panic with claustrophobia and thanatophobia spoke of a great strength of mind for the young Uchiha. The boy had been _willing to die just for that slim chance to live_, and if that powerful drive wasn't enough for him to pull through this, then Yoroi had no idea what else would. Now, it was up to the medical staff to work their magic, to carefully make sure that the ANBU team's painstaking efforts to preserve the body of their teammate would not go to waste.

"I'm going to have to replace his entire blood supply; Kusanagi's venom has most probably contaminated his entire system as it is. A fresh source of blood will make it less likely for his internal organs to fail before the anti-venom can work, and hopefully, the likelihood of him going into extensive anaphylactic shock during surgery will lessen as well," the genius doctor mumbled to himself in deep thought.

"…and I will need to lower the temperature of the new blood supply to match the cooled body temperature, switch out the tainted blood with the new one, then use the temperature controlled blood warming apparatus to slowly raise the body temp until I can restart his heart with the electric defibrillator without the risk of cardiac arrest. The other healers can start to work on his other injuries at the same time, and I will need to make sure that ventricular fibrillation and arrhythmia do not occur…"

Kakashi was quickly lost in the midst of complex medical terms that he didn't understand and didn't really care to understand, though at last, Yakushi Yoroi blinked from his self-induced stupor and stared owlishly at the ANBU Captain who had been standing beside him outside the operating theatre the entire while. He gave the silver-haired young man a politely quizzical smile.

"Why are you still standing around, Hatake _taichou_? Do you need me to hold your hand and walk you to the nearest available healer for treatment?"

The medic's silver glasses glinted in a seriously disturbing manner, even as his kindly smile did not waver. There and then, Kakashi was abruptly reminded of just why this man was so feared even amongst the ANBU ranks. Yakushi-san had the strangest ability to make shivers crawl up and down the spine of even the most hardened ANBU, and warily, the ANBU Captain shook his head. Yakushi's smile widened genially, even as the look in his eyes was one of immense irritation. "Oh, no? Then scoot; I will be busy with your subordinate as it is. Go get yourself checked over, and Hatake _taichou_?"

"…Yes, Yakushi-san?"

The frame of the healer's glasses gleamed with extra warning, and the man himself gave Kakashi an extra-strength beam. Inner Kakashi whimpered a little. "If you try to run off before my medic-nin gives you the go ahead, I will make you very sorry, is that clear?"

Caught in the full blast of the infamous 'Yakushi charm,' the poor Copy-nin could only nod and agree obediently.

"Of course, Yakushi-san."

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, the God of Shinobi, was not having a good day. And it wasn't even noontime yet.

At the age of sixty-two, the Third was getting a bit too old to carry on his duties as the Fire Shadow of Konoha, but then again, nobody had ever said that life was fair. If so, then both himself and his ANBU Commander would have retired years ago, leaving the combined headaches of paperwork and dealing with the unceasing demands of the village council to their younger counterparts. But Minato had went and sacrificed himself to seal the Kyuubi into his own son, and Suigyouku had died defending Konoha from the Nine Tails' attack, and like bright, falling comets blazing their way across the midnight skies, so dazzling and vibrant for but a brief moment in time, they were gone as quickly as they had appeared, leaving nothing but fading memories and a bitter taste in the mouths of those who had been left behind.

And those left behind had no choice but to pick up the broken pieces of those who had gone before them, regret and thoughts of 'what ifs' weighing heavily in their hearts. But now was no time to think of the past, reminiscence of a life that could have been. No, Sarutobi had the present to address, his precious village to consider, his nin to watch out for.

At the moment, it was the latter that had him most concerned.

The Sandaime Hokage was quietly simmering to himself as he read and reread the latest report that had been passed onto his desk, a migraine starting to gather at his temples as his eyes burned holes into the deceptively innocent parchments lying on the desk before him.

"I heard that you were looking for me, Sarutobi," the aged, gravelly voice that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere did not seem to startle Sarutobi at all.

No, the Third merely transferred his withered glare from the paperwork to his grizzled-looking ANBU Commander.

"Kokkai, what's the meaning of this?"

The old man who had entered the Hokage's Office was hardly intimidated by the Third's cantankerous tone. He scowled back slightly.

"What do you mean, 'what's the meaning of this?'" Kokkai demanded. "Your treacherous student is up to his pedophilic ways again, that's what. Hatake Kakashi reported that he went right after my young apprentice like a shark scenting fresh blood, but it seemed that young Itachi had proved to be more than a handful for him."

Akikaze's sense of pride in his ANBU protégé was unmistakable, though Sarutobi had to admit grudgingly that his old friend had every right to gloat. Uchiha Itachi was probably the only twelve year old in this world who could take on Orochimaru of the Densetsu no Sannin and walk away alive, even if barely so.

Sarutobi refrained from pinching his nose at what he deemed to be Kokkai's deliberate obtuseness.

"That's not what I meant and you know it," the Third frowned disapprovingly. "You just handed in your recommendation to promote Uchiha Itachi to the rank of ANBU Captain. Are you out of your damn mind, Kokkai? He's only a twelve year old boy!!"

By the end of the tirade, the Sandaime was undeniably furious. Fortunately, the ANBU Commander took it calmly, or there would be more than just pressured intent flying around the large office. The subject of the young Uchiha had been a sore point of contention between the two old men for the past year or so; Sarutobi just didn't agree with the way Kokkai was pushing Itachi to quickly adapt to the type of dangerous, high-ranking missions that only his best ANBU would undertake, but Kokkai was more than confident that his young apprentice was up to the task. This time was no different.

Frankly, the aged ANBU _shousui_ was sick and tired of going through this argument with his Hokage time and again. He understood that Sarutobi felt some measure of guilt towards the young _tensai_, had felt partially responsible for somehow landing the boy in this situation due to his inability to lend his support in the Uchiha clan's complicated state of affairs. Privately, Kokkai just thought that his old friend was being ridiculous. What else could he do, after all, in the face of a council of elders who refused to see that their decision was doing more harm than good? And of course, like all Hokage, both past and present, Sarutobi simply worried too much, especially when it came to his precious village and nin. It was a trait that had both helped and hindered the Third in various points of his career as a nin and, subsequently, Hokage, though this time around, Akikaze was certain that all the hesitant pussyfooting was not helping matters any.

"Come now, Saru," Kokkai replied calmly at last, a direct contrast to his old friend's agitated demeanor. "We both know that the boy hasn't been a child since he accepted his hitai-ite. You are years too late if you are trying to protect him like you would your three year old grandson. Uchiha Itachi is extremely gifted and well-trained, a valuable soldier for Konoha. Considering his impressive record of successful missions in the past year alone, not to mention this recent run-in with your ex-student, I'd say that he has more than earned this promotion."

The Commander's reasoning was logical and sound, obviously well thought out, but still, the Third shook his head, unconvinced.

"I will not agree to this, Kokkai. He is simply too young to undertake this sort of responsibility."

"Is he really?" The ANBU _shousui_ challenged mildly. "He severed Orochimaru's left hand and brought Kusanagi back into our possession, something that neither you nor I could have boasted of at his age. My apprentice has the sort of talent that most can only dream about, and that is only the beginning of what he can truly achieve. Talent like Itachi's is rare to surface and should not be wasted."

Sarutobi scowled. "Listen to yourself, Kokkai! You speak as if the boy is nothing more than a mere pawn to be used and maneuvered about as you please! How is what you are doing now any different from Danzo and his living weapons?"

Akikaze's age worn features tightened slightly at the unjust comparison to Root's leader, and the old man started to get angry himself. The ANBU Commander forcibly kept a lid on his own volatile temper, thankfully, and only narrowed his hawk-like green eyes at his old friend.

"My apprentice has much more to offer than those mindless imbeciles that Danzo is so interested in cultivating. He is shaping up to be a tactical genius both in and out of the field, and will only continue to grow to become a valuable ally, Sarutobi. Am I wrong in wanting to help the boy achieve this small bit of recognition that his clan is so desperate to gain from him?"

The Third really did not appreciate what Kokkai was so thinly implying. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions, Kokkai," he chided gently.

In return, the grizzled ANBU _shousui_ barked out a harsh laugh. He looked at his Hokage with genuine mirth. "Then it's a good thing that the boy is already neck deep in the deepest pit of hell there is already, isn't it?"

Once again, Sarutobi was hardly amused that his own Commander thought of his ANBU forces in such a negative light.

"Kokkai…" he muttered warningly, only for the Akikaze to unconcernedly wave his hand to dispel the tension between the two old men. The look of amusement in Kokkai's face disappeared quickly.

"Itachi is more than capable," the reddish-gray-haired elder cut in calmly, surely. "I have faith in the ability of my apprentice, so don't you underestimate him like that foolish ex-student of yours. That miserable whelp Orochimaru sure did pay dearly for his mistake, didn't he?"

The Sandaime frowned at his friend's proud tone. "That may be so, but young Itachi has been mortally wounded as well, or did you forget?"

Shockingly enough, Akikaze grinned savagely in reply, almost as if dementedly delighted that the Third had brought up this particular subject. "Oh yes, the boy was declared clinically dead for at least two hours before they brought him back to life. Kakashi reported that Itachi was the one who came up with the unorthodox suggestion to preserve his body by completely ceasing his bodily functions, and he was also the one who made the decision to put himself under. That move was probably what saved his life from Kusanagi's deadly venom."

The Commander's grin widened. "To be able to think and function so well even when skewered messily through the chest and badly poisoned by Kusanagi speaks well for the boy's mental fortitude and willpower, don't you think? He possesses the very traits we look for in a Captain, and this recent incident has only greatly exemplified his abilities."

Sarutobi did not have to be a genius to tell where this conversation was going, what with Kokkai singing his protégé's praises like a songbird. The Hokage scowled harder.

"You are right," he conceded most ungraciously at last. "However, we do not turn children into ANBU, let alone Captains, unless absolutely necessary. It's bad enough that I allowed you to assimilate Uchiha Itachi into ANBU even when we were clearly not at war, what more are you pushing for? Remember that the boy has only been in active duty for a year, and even Kakashi-kun has taken three years to gain his captaincy. I don't believe that Itachi is ready yet; impressive abilities or not, he is not fully matured and his mental development-"

"His mental state is perfectly fine, I will have you know," Akikaze cut in a tad coolly, mildly insulted that Sarutobi would insinuate that one of his best ANBU might be of unsound mind. "I would never have taken him in the first place, let alone put him under this much pressure to perform, if he had been a potential head case. Tch, why do you think only Jiraiya was let into ANBU Intelligence amongst your three prodigious students?"

Sarutobi flinched inwardly at the barely-veiled implication, especially since Akikaze had been right all along. Out of his three students, only Jiraiya was still actively serving Konoha. Tsunade was gone with the wind, and the last of the Sannin had simply…defected altogether.

"Touché, old friend," the Third muttered, somewhat saddened by his own failures as a teacher. "Orochimaru really has been my greatest mistake…"

The redheaded old man watched his friend wallow in his self-pity for a brief moment. "Yes, he was," Kokkai agreed bluntly and readily, seeing no need to beat around the bush and cater to the Third's 'tender sensibilities.' "And now, that ex-student of yours is probably going to target _my_ student out of sheer principle alone, once he realizes that Itachi is alive and has not died from his attack, so excuse me if I'm being overly zealous in pushing for the boy's promotion."

Sarutobi knew that once again, Kokkai had a valid point. Orochimaru had always hated to lose, even as a child, and there was no doubt that he would be out for blood the next time he saw Itachi. The Third's seemingly frail shoulders drooped, almost as if unable to bear the heavy responsibilities heaped on him any longer, and had Akikaze been younger, he would have pitied the other man for the position he was in. But the ANBU _shousui_ was easily just as aged, and after what he had gone through in life, it was difficult to give sympathy to his Hokage. After all, Sarutobi still had his sons and daughters, and even a grandchild too, to boot. Compared to himself, the last living member of his dying clan, Kokkai reckoned that he was probably a lot more pitiful—not that he had any intention of succumbing to feelings of self-pity and bouts of moroseness. There was much for him to do still, and Akikaze had no time to waste on useless emotions.

"Alright, you win," the Third remarked heavily at last. He gave his old friend a disgruntled stare, though. "However, if anything goes wrong with young Itachi, I will hold you solely responsible."

Kokkai merely inclined his head in agreement, gracious now that his Hokage had seen things his way. "That's fair enough."

Sarutobi hesitated, then could not resist meddling. "I'd like the boy to go through a full psychiatric evaluation first, to ascertain that he is indeed up to the task."

"Pshaw," Kokkai puffed out unconcernedly. "Go right ahead. I have compiled an entire cupboard of psych reports on Itachi from the very moment he entered ANBU. Your physician is more than welcome to come over to the ANBU Headquarters to browse through the files if need be."

The Sandaime's eyes widened slightly at his Commander's admission, and then narrowed them just as quickly as realization dawned. The Hokage gave the ANBU _shousui_ a flat look. "You have been planning this for a long time, haven't you, Kokkai?"

The grizzled-looking redhead did not bother to deny. "Longer. Try from the very beginning," Akikaze answered calmly, unperturbed by the dirty look his old friend was giving him. "You made me give my word to do right by this boy after all, and you should know by now that I don't do things halfway, my friend."

The conversation was obviously tapering to an end, and the aged ANBU Commander bowed formally in respect to his leader, turned and started out of Sarutobi's office. He paused halfway, though.

"Just so you know, Saru, I will train Itachi to the best of my abilities, as promised. He will surpass all the others before him; he will be your lance and your shield to be deployed any way you wish, for the good of this village," the old man's tone was faintly sardonic, especially when it came to the last portion of his sentence. The Sandaime Hokage watched the proud but slightly aged stooped back of his ANBU Commander with something akin to sad understanding in his eyes.

"Then my duty will be done."

_No more. _

* * *

The shrill ring of the noon bell in Konoha's Ninja Academy marked recess time, the one period that most, if not all, of the young students looked forward to in between the monotonous humdrum of historical lectures and theoretical discussions. The first years were the quickest to empty from the classrooms, small feet working double time as the children fled outside towards freedom, if only for a brief half an hour or so. They were followed closely by their senpai, the second and the third years, everyone eager to escape to the school courtyard for a quick bento lunch lovingly packed by family and some playtime with fellow friends before having to head back to their studies again. The fourth to seventh year students were allotted a slightly later lunchtime slot to prevent overcrowding and unpleasant incidents like bullying from occurring too often on the school grounds, and there was always a sensei stationed in the courtyard during break time to ensure that nothing untoward happened amongst the children.

Seven-year old Haruno Sakura sat on the bench by the side of the Academy building, her lunch bag on her lap as she watched her schoolmates running around the play area in what looked like a mass scale game of extreme tag. Ino-chan had skipped over earlier to ask if she wanted to join in, but Sakura had shook her head at her friend and declined the offer. She knew she wasn't the most athletic person in school, in fact, her physical abilities were one of the worst amongst her fellow classmates and that was something that greatly embarrassed and dismayed the young girl. Even Sensei said so. She preferred other pursuits like reading and studying anyway, though she couldn't deny that it looked like her friends were having great fun. Sakura sighed wistfully.

"You look stupid."

The flat, derisive tone that sounded beside her on the bench did not seem to surprise or upset Sakura. The pink-haired girl was used to such verbal abuse by now, and had already figured out a way to deal with the seemingly unpleasant individual. Without a word, the pink-haired girl's instinctive reaction was to reach into her paper bag, draw out an okaka-flavored onigiri that she had reserved for this particular situation, and proceed to stuff it right into the big mouth of one Uchiha Sasuke.

There was a brief choking sound as the young, spiky-haired Uchiha hacked beside her like a cat with a major hairball, but the angelic-looking pink-haired girl didn't even blink or look the boy's way, instead propping her elbows on her skinny legs and resting her chin on her palms and staring longingly at the other playing children instead.

At long last, Uchiha Sasuke managed to dislodge the ridiculously huge rice ball from his mouth, coughing up a fit and turning bright red in the face with anger. He waved the onigiri before the girl in a distinctly agitated manner.

"Oi!" the sullen-faced seven-year old squawked out with outrage. "That's the fifteenth time you tried to kill me this week, you crazy girl!!"

Sakura didn't reply, too desensitized by her friend's rude comments to bother much. Not surprisingly, Sasuke had a grumpy, abrasive personality that he did not bother to hide once one got to know him. Unfortunately for him, that sulky, brooding, spoilt-brat temperament seemed to have earned him quite a bit of adoration from the 'icky girls' in his class. Sakura seemed to be one of the few who were immune to the young Uchiha's special brand of 'charm,' though, and therefore that made her an acceptable person to hang around with, not that Sasuke had any choice in the matter.

That was because Sakura was also the only person in the whole school who could control Uzumaki Naruto whenever he was on one of his pranking episodes, and Sasuke was growing quite tired of being on the receiving end of the blonde's unending spree of practical jokes. It had taken him awhile (and being strung up a tree by his underpants) before he finally wised up to the fact that the blonde idiot was a lot less likely to misbehave around his precious 'Sakura-chan.' If he stuck close to the pink-haired girl, then Sasuke would, by default, be spared from the blonde's reign of terror. Speaking of which…

"Where's the dob- Naruto?" the young Uchiha corrected himself midway. Sakura might seem uncharacteristically listless today, but if there was one thing that could get her all fired up—_and scarily aggressive_, it would be disrespecting her friends within her range of hearing. Once again, it had taken Sasuke being brained on the head a few times by various items that Sakura had found her hands on before he wised up and learned to pick his words carefully, though of course, the fact that Naruto received the same treatment easily made his pride smart less at being kicked around by a girl.

Sensei's comment about Sakura's physical ability or lack thereof was grossly inaccurate and just as misleading. The pink-haired girl could hit harder than any boy he knew when riled, and once again, he knew that from multiple personal experience, all thanks to a shared adulation, and subsequently, a one-sided rivalry for the attention of his nii-san, Uchiha Itachi. Granted, Sakura had no problem sharing the Uchiha heir; rather, it was Sasuke who had trouble grasping the idea of sharing his brother's sorely limited spare time with two other children his age. The pink-haired girl was already more than happy enough to stay near the older boy whenever he visited even as he further divided his attention between the two rowdier boys, but there was just something about Sakura's closeness with his ani that simply irked Sasuke to no end, which of course resulted in the jealous young boy's rude antics meant to upset the girl.

Poor Sakura had endured the rash of insults and name calling for a grand total of two months before she promptly lost her temper and the then six-year old Sasuke found his dirty mouth jammed full with a large rice ball, therein heralding the beginning of two children's bizarre like/hate relationship that would last through the rest of their lives. It took a bit of trial and error on the young girl's part before she finally hit jackpot in the form of Sasuke's secret weakness—omusubi with delicious okaka stuffing—which she would shove into Uchiha frère's potty mouth with unerring accuracy whenever he was being meaner than he usually was.

Needless to say, the rest was history.

Sakura sighed again, this time in exasperation.

"Naruto is being punished. He super glued Iruka-sensei to his chair earlier on. Baka."

Sasuke snorted under his breath, but said nothing more. The young Uchiha slouched on the seat beside the girl and started to munch on the onigiri in his hand distractedly. It wasn't as if he could do anything else with it, and it was really too good to be thrown away, as usual, though he certainly hadn't appreciated Sakura's violent delivery methods. Couldn't she be a bit gentler like the other girls?

A mental image of a simpering and adoringly worshipful Sakura appeared in the seven year old's mind, and an appalled Sasuke recoiled inwardly with horror. Maybe it wasn't so bad that Sakura didn't act like a girl—perhaps she was secretly a guy?

The young Uchiha scowled, finding it difficult to wrap his mind around the possibility of a pink-haired boy before he snapped out of that ridiculous train of thought.

Argh. Girls were so complicated. He would never understand them.

"Ne, Sasuke," the young girl in question spoke up then. She had recently quit adding the '-kun' suffix to both her male friends, mostly due to the fact that Sasuke's rapidly growing fanbase of fangirls in their class were really scary when provoked and Sasuke himself really wasn't much help in that department. The poor boy was scared stiff of his overzealous admirers and often had to be rescued by either Naruto or herself in the form of retaliating, often downright embarrassing, pranks and/or excuses, respectively. Unfortunately, only Sakura was in the same class as Sasuke; Naruto was three semesters ahead of them and was almost always in one form of trouble or another, which meant that Sasuke was more often than not stuck with Sakura for company.

"What?" the younger Uchiha replied grouchily after awhile.

"Is Itachi-kun back from his mission yet?" Sakura asked, finally shifting her attention over to the boy to give him an earnest stare. Sasuke scowled.

"Why do I have to tell you anything?" he mumbled huffily in reply. "It's none of your business."

Sakura frowned slightly at that. She hadn't heard from Itachi-kun for a few weeks already, which was pretty unusual since he always came to her at least once every fortnight. It didn't matter where she was; he always found her. The fact that he was nearly a week overdue made the young girl feel strangely anxious and restless. He had never been irregular in his visits, and in the two years that she had known him, she had come to the simple realization that Itachi-kun was not the type to break his promises, even if it was an unspoken one shared between the two of them.

"…something happened, didn't it?"

Seven-year old Sasuke froze briefly mid-chew at the solemn question. Then the young boy quickly swallowed and took another huge bite of his omusubi to keep from speaking. He turned his face pointedly away from the girl, only to snap his head back just as quickly with a fierce glower when he was poked in the side.

"What happened?" Sakura sounded a bit more urgent now, worried. "What happened to Itachi-kun?"

The next few minutes occurred in a blur, but Sasuke quickly found himself with his hands full in the form of a panicked girl and it also didn't take long before she tried to shake some answers out of him, literally. It was one of those moments where the young Uchiha dearly wished that their sensei was present if only to see just how wrong he was in his assessment of sweet little Sakura-chan's physical abilities; the pink-haired girl was terrifyingly strong and at the moment, she had her hands on his shoulders and was whipping him back and forth like a rag doll.

The members of the Official Sasuke Fanclub would have greatly disapproved of this abuse of their idol had they seen what was going on right now, but fortunately for Sakura, there were none present at the moment. The Sakura of the past would have been mortified by her rude actions but the Sakura of the present was simply too worried to care.

"Oi!! Stop shaking me!!" Sasuke bellowed through rattling teeth, starting to get a bit miffed himself. He really didn't understand the strange bond between his aniki and Sakura, and he liked it even less. His Nii-san was his after all, even though Itachi obviously seemed to welcome Sakura's company. It wasn't even as if they both did anything interesting when put together; the pink-haired girl would be speaking about anything and everything that caught her attention, and his brother would just listen, and occasionally provide some input of his own. It all seemed downright boring to Sasuke, and he resented that he and his aniki could be off doing much more interesting things, but no, Itachi preferred to stay with Sakura and keep her company.

It was not to say that his older brother was neglecting him in favor of Sakura, it was just that Sasuke would very much have preferred the undivided attention of his awesome sibling.

The young boy was clearly taking brotherly love to a whole new level, but then again, Sakura's relationship with his ani was certainly just as strange, if not stranger.

"Alright, alright!! Nii-san got hurt on a mission!" the raven-haired boy hollered in an effort to be heard, and sure enough, Sakura stopped.

"Hurt?" the young girl echoed, her unbelievably green eyes wide with anxiety. Itachi-kun hardly got injured on missions; how was that possible? "How bad is it? Is it very bad?"

Sakura looked like she was about to cry, and an alarmed Sasuke quickly answered her.

"Nii-san is still in the hospital," he muttered. "The medic-nin says that he can't go home yet, but he isn't in danger anymore."

"I want to visit him," Sakura blurted out immediately.

"What? No way," Sasuke scowled. "You are not even family. Stay out of this."

The pink-haired girl furrowed her brows. "Sasuke…" she trailed off slowly, almost pleadingly. The young boy glared, unmoved.

"No. Nothing you say is going to make me change my mind," Sasuke declared obstinately.

Sakura did not reply. She bit her lip and lowered her gaze onto her lap, momentarily lost in contemplation.

"I will make you more omusubi," she offered at last.

For awhile, there was no answer from the young Uchiha.

Then, a grudging reply.

"…Alright. But they had better be okaka-flavored!!"

* * *

A few hours later, the seven-year old girl crept cautiously into the special ward that housed Itachi-kun. The pair of faceless, utterly still ANBU guards that stood watch at the doorway intimidated her, but she forged on determinedly and showed them the visitor pass that Sasuke had procured reluctantly for her at the nurses' station. It seemed that the young boy's sulky charm was just too adorable even for the adults, and the mortified Uchiha had to endure being pinched on both cheeks by the cooing nurse matron before he could beat a hasty retreat and shove the piece of paper at Sakura.

"You owe me a lifetime of rice balls for this," the boy had growled, his normally pale face unnaturally red from embarrassment and abuse, but Sakura was too grateful to take offence at his ornery tone. She would have hugged him if she could, but doubted that Sasuke would appreciate it very much. With a happy yelp of thanks, the girl turned and ran off immediately in search of Itachi's room, and ten minutes later, she was carefully prying the door open and slipping through the narrow gap as quietly as she could, painstakingly trying her best not to disturb the patient resting in there.

She was still breathing quite heavily from her mad dash up several flights of stairs when she crept quietly towards the lone bed that was situated in the middle of the spacious room. Several machines surrounded the bed and her eyes were bright with worried curiosity as she tried to comprehend the picture spread before her as quickly as she could.

What she saw quickly made her slow and pause with upset bewilderment—when Sasuke had mentioned that his older brother was hospitalized, he had clearly glossed over the extent of physical damage that Itachi had suffered.

The twelve year old tensai was laid flat on the bed, bandages swathed across his chest and abdomen and hooked up to a dizzying array of catheters and machines. Lying unconscious and unmoving on the sterile hospital bed, he looked nothing like the self-possessed and quietly confident Itachi-kun that she had always known. With his hair unbound and his sharp, noble features even paler and more haggard than ever, he looked so vulnerable and helpless that something in her chest squeezed with distress.

The young girl did not fully understand why it hurt so much to see her Itachi-kun like this, only that she was certain he was in great pain and there wasn't anything she could do to help him at all. He had always been there for her for as long as she remembered, and in her own way, she had always tried so hard to return the quiet, firm support that he had lent her unfailingly. But she was only a seven year old child, and even though she was quite intelligent and resourceful, she was still five years younger than this boy whom she had always looked up to, and at the age of twelve, he was already a formidable member of the ANBU forces, a combat genius of the highest degree, one that had not been seen in Konoha for the last fifty years.

She was but only an Academy student, and it wasn't surprising at all that there really wasn't much aid she could offer him. He had always seemed so stressed and sad, and this time around, seeing him at his weakest only served to drive home the point that she was utterly useless to him, this boy who was her closest, most important friend.

Sakura stood silently by the bed, powerless, her head hanging down and her bangs shadowing her eyes, her shoulders quivering slightly as she clenched her fists and fought not to cry. Still, her nose tingled with the familiar onset of tears and her vision blurred pathetically despite her efforts. She swiped clumsily at the emerging tears with the back of her hand, but it took only one look at the Uchiha heir before she started to whimper quietly all over again.

The young girl felt her breath hitch with increasing upset and knew that she was about to start sniffling noisily soon. The sensible, thoughtful child started to back slowly away from the bed, intending to leave before she could awaken Itachi, but before she could do so, she felt a hand rest gently on her head.

Sakura looked up quickly, her eyes red rimmed.

The raven-haired boy was already awake, and he was watching her with so much weariness in his wan gaze that it made her heart hurt even worse.

"Don't cry," he told her simply, quietly.

The sound of his familiar voice, albeit slightly hoarse, only made the tears roll down her face even faster than before, and she shook her head wordlessly and directed her gaze to the floor, simply unable to fulfill his request. He didn't allow her to stay in that miserable state for long, though. Cold, slender fingers touched her damp cheek carefully, before sliding down to her chin to tilt her gaze back to his.

She looked so abjectly miserable, her large green eyes swimming with tears that overflowed quickly the more she looked at him.

"You are hurt…!" she mumbled thickly through her upset, and voicing out the obvious only seemed to make her even more agitated. Her trembling lips were pulled down in an unhappy grimace and she was starting to hiccup from the intensity of her tears, and he watched her try so hard to stop crying and fail miserably in the end.

At last, the raven-haired boy removed his hand from her and pushed his blanket to a corner, revealing a small space on the bed by his uninjured side.

"Come here," he instructed softly, and the amount of trust she had in him was evident when she climbed onto the mattress without hesitation, carefully making sure not to tangle up any of the narrow tubes that were connected to him. He helped her as best as he could, and the moment she was settled on the mattress beside him, she reached for him instantly, curling into his side like a small, needy, baby animal, her small, childish hands holding onto him carefully as she turned her face into his shoulder and continued to cry quietly.

He did not ask her to stop this time, merely closed his eyes and curled his arm around her slender shoulders, allowing her to vent her worries for him in the only way she knew how. He stroked her hair, awkwardly at first, then gradually settling into a gentle rhythm that worked to soothe both himself and Sakura. Eventually, her tears abated, and she was sniffling softly against him, still quite upset.

"I don't ever want you to be hurt," she fretted in a near inaudible whisper, but he heard her plea all the same.

He couldn't promise her that and not lie at the same time, and so he merely changed the subject. "I'm a lot better already," he assured her in his usual quiet manner. She said nothing, merely tightened her fingers against the sleeve of his hospital gown, and silence lapsed between them.

Then, she spoke, soft and haltingly, but slowly returning to her usual self.

"…Sasuke didn't want me to visit you at first. I had to promise to make him his favorite rice balls before he brought me here." The young girl looked at her friend to gauge his reaction, and when he appeared to be listening, she continued, encouraged. "But Sasuke let the nurse pinch his cheeks in order to get a pass for me though, so I will make him whatever he wants from now on. Naruto wanted to come too, but he had detention because he glued Iruka-sensei to his chair this morning."

Itachi appeared mildly piqued. "…Glued?" he echoed curiously.

Sakura nodded, a familiar flicker of vivacity slowly returning to her bright verdant eyes. "Iruka-sensei was waddling down the hallway with the chair stuck to his behind, and Naruto was running in front of him howling with laughter the entire way. Almost everyone in school saw. It was quite funny, but Naruto's getting into more and more trouble all the time, that baka. Last week, he put a small snake in Ino-chan's bag and poor Ino-chan was so angry. She smacked him good though."

The one-sided conversation continued more or less along that vein. In muted tones, Sakura would talk about the little, mundane happenings that had occurred in her life recently, small things that had caught her attention or roused her interest, and share them with Itachi. She did not require his input, nor did she try to pry for any details of his dangerous mission. His assignments had always seemed to be the source of his unhappiness, and she wanted nothing more than to take away that bleak look in his eyes and fill it with the gentle warmth she knew he was capable of.

Sakura didn't always succeed, but she never stopped trying.

As the visit went on, the young girl also tried her best not to fuss over his injuries, and was thoughtful enough not to expect too many replies from him. He was wounded still, and had already expanded enough precious energy for her. She was grateful enough to be able to see him today, and if the only thing she could do for him would be to entertain him as best as she could with the many small stories of her life, then she was only too glad to do exactly that.

Eventually though, Sakura ran out of topics to talk about and the conversation slowly dried up. Itachi didn't seem to mind, and the resulting silence that fell over them both was one that was comfortable and peaceful.

"Can I…stay, just for a little while more?" Sakura asked almost shyly after taking a brief moment to gather her courage.

Dark eyes flickered over to hers, and she looked so very earnest and pleading that the older boy easily gave in.

"For awhile," the raven-haired ANBU agreed quietly. It would be at least another two hours before the nurse came to check up on him, and as long as no one saw her with him, their secret would be safe. It was a risky move, but it was one he was willing to make just for that little more time with her. It was apparent that his desire was fully reciprocated, for Sakura all but lit up with happiness, and after a softly uttered 'thank you,' she settled beside him quietly and tried to make herself as unobtrusive to his rest as possible. He was still running his fingers through her hair idly, and the repetitive gesture felt so good to the young girl that it wasn't long before her eyelids were drooping and she was starting to nod off.

Itachi was aware that she was falling asleep, but made no move to rouse her. She smelled of sunshine and innocence, and not for the first time, having her nearby calmed him, and it was no surprise that he was reluctant to give up any opportunity to be in her company for a slightly longer period of time.

"Itachi-kun?" she murmured sleepily then, looking at him with a drowsy expression before closing her eyes.

"Yes?"

"I'm so glad you came back," she whispered with quiet conviction, and in response, he turned his head slightly and rested his chin on the top of her head, his usually tensed form slowly relaxing. The boy closed his eyes, a rare sense of contentment stealing over him.

"Aa. I know."

* * *

Nearly an hour later, a certain pink-haired young girl crept out quietly from the same ward that she had hurried anxiously into earlier, but now in a visibly better mood and a happier disposition. The two masked ANBU guards that stood sentry by Itachi-kun's door didn't alarm her as much, and pleased to have spent some time with her friend, even if they had napped away a good portion of it, Sakura failed to pay attention to where she was going and promptly ran into someone who had been walking down the hallway as well.

The impact wasn't hard enough to cause her any injury or send her tumbling to the ground, but it was enough to cause the stranger to drop her basket, the fruits within it scattering haphazardly onto the floor.

Sakura was aghast. "I'm sorry!" the little girl called out with sincere remorse as she quickly bent down to pick up the fallen fruits. "I didn't see you!!"

"It's alright, there's no harm done." The slender, statuesque woman knelt down to help Sakura retrieve the apples and oranges on the floor, and together, they quickly made short work of the task.

"I'm really sorry," Sakura apologized contritely as she handed the last of the fruits to the lady. She was really beautiful, and had such a kind, serene expression on her face, and the little girl felt really bad for bruising her fruit.

The elegant-looking woman got to her feet gracefully, a small, tranquil smile on her face. Her hair was long; soft, even strands of pure jet black that fell over her shoulders and rested against the small of her waist. Her complexion was lily white, her facial features delicate and doll-like. The lady looked just like a Japanese Hime, and the young girl blurted out her thoughts, much to the woman's amusement.

The older female hid her soft, chime-like chuckles behind her hand, and shook her head lightly. "No, child. I'm not a princess," she informed Sakura, her dark eyes twinkling with gentle laughter. "What's your name, little one?"

Sakura bowed politely, hastily remembering the lessons on courtesy that her mother had taught her.

"Hajimemashite! My name is Haruno Sakura, Madam."

The matured, dark-haired beauty smiled maternally at the delightfully polite young girl.

"Well, my name is Mikoto, and it's nice to meet you, young Sakura-chan."

_

* * *

_

::tsuzuku::

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Thank goodness! I actually managed to deliver this chapter on time, as promised! As usual, all credit goes to my wonderful beta for her speedy editing, so fall onto your knees and worship her awesomeness!!

Once again, my sincerest apologies for making your guys wait so long for this installment!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Now, onto the actual notes for this chapter.

According to the manga, Itachi severed Orochimaru's hand when the latter tried to steal his body to gain the Sharingan. That happened when Itachi was in Akatsuki, but obviously, I altered the timeline slightly and brought it forward instead, using that as a reason to promote Itachi to ANBU captaincy. Compared to the actual scenario in the manga, he is younger and has lesser experience when fighting Orochimaru. As such, I felt that it would be more realistic if Itachi became mortally injured even if he had succeeded in driving off the snake Sannin, though he also managed to return Kusanagi to Konoha's possession, an event that in reality does not happen in the series.

I know this may sound redundant to most of you, but I'm just clearing things up so that it's less confusing for everyone.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

By the way, I'm not sure if Kusanagi is actually layered with snake venom. There's no mention of such a thing anywhere online, but I thought it would be quite a dangerous weapon if it was true.

For those who don't know, neurotoxins acts especially on nerve cells, causing paralysis and damage to nervous tissues. Hemotoxins destroy red blood cells, disrupt blood clotting and can also cause organ degeneration and generalized tissue damage.

Both types of toxins can be found in the venoms of certain deadly snakes in the world.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Next, there really is such a thing known as hypothermia during clinical death (and I'm not pulling that out of my behind this time, I swear).

For humans, this particular condition of clinical death can be survived for as long as over one hour at temperatures below twenty degrees Celsius. That basically means that even if a person is no longer breathing and at the same time, his or her heart is also no longer beating (aka cardiac arrest), as long as his or her core body temperature is below twenty degrees Celsius, he or she stands a significantly higher chance of being resuscitated back to life without any negative repercussions to his or her health. In fact, there are actual recorded cases of this medical phenomenon from different parts of the world; aren't our bodies just incredibly awesome?

I know; you guys are probably thinking, 'Isn't paws just incredibly, disturbingly nerdy?'

Oh well, geekiness aside, those who are interested can always look up the wonderful Wikipedia for more information!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

And yes, Yakushi Yoroi is my OC, sort of. Like my beta has already guessed, he is the foster parent of Yakushi Kabuto.

I don't think Kishimoto has provided many details about Kabuto's father, other than the fact that he was the Chief Medical Officer of the Konoha Medical Unit Squad. So I had to give him a name, and I chose Yoroi. It basically translates to 'armor,' which I had lamely derived from the translation of Kabuto, which means 'helmet of armor.'

I'm not really certain of Yoroi's personality as well, and so I just gave it my own spin. I hope you readers like him!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

According to the official Naruto Databook, Sasuke has a weakness for okaka-flavored onigiri/omusubi, and so I guess I grabbed that and sort of ran away with it, haha.

I figured that the young Uchiha would resent Sakura for stealing the attention of his brother, though the two would eventually find a proper outlet to resolve their discontentment with each other. The onigiri just factored in somehow, and for those who are wondering how a seven year old can make rice balls, well, don't. Onigiri are quite easy to make and I'm assuming that since Sakura was forced by circumstances to be more independent than most children her age, she would also have no difficulties making something as simple as rice balls for herself.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Sakura is still quite weak physically compared to most of her classmates. She's incredibly smart though, just not very strong yet. That will change eventually, but she's certainly no super ninja kid and will have to work doubly hard for whatever abilities she will gain in the future.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Because Sakura is only seven years old in this chapter, she is still quite a crybaby, and hasn't really learned how to hide her emotions yet. Compared to the original series' version of Sakura, there aren't as many reasons for her to be upset anymore in CP-verse, and she has become more confident of herself too, though I believe that when truly distressed, she will still express her sadness in the way most young children do—cry.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

As for Itachi and Sakura sharing a bed together, well, I will emphasize again that it's _purely_ platonic. Sakura sees Itachi as her most precious friend and trusts him implicitly. Obviously, she is also equally important to him, and there really isn't anything perverted in their innocent, needy dependence on each other, definitely not at this stage of their relationship, and most definitely not at their current respective ages!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Last but not least, thank you all so much for your understanding and warm support!!! You guys really encourage me more than you know!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

--paws


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** cabbage patch

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/General/Humor

**Word Count:** 9121

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #23, cabbage patch

**Rating: **T (Contains content not suitable for children)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Non-massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.

**Created on:** 24/07/09

**Completed on:** 07/11/11

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 23/11/11

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

The man in the mysterious orange mask and the black cloak with the crimson clouds appeared before him one early spring day.

Like a ghost, he had crept into the Uchiha training grounds completely undetected, and it was only by sheer instinct and superior skill that thirteen year old Uchiha Itachi had managed to avoid the swift, deadly technique that had nearly removed his head from his shoulders. A deft back flip and a well-disguised shunshin to a nearby canopy later, the young ANBU Captain quickly accessed the situation with narrowed eyes.

The concentrated killing intent that had been deliberately aimed at him had been powerful enough to force out the expression of the famed Sharingan—the prodigy's eyes bled red, three separate tomoe forming in each crimson iris, the fully evolved form of his family's proud bloodline limit.

Itachi had only a brief moment to glance at the spot where he had been standing previously, and was mildly perturbed to see that the immediate area had been completely obliterated. The fact that no sound whatsoever had been made during the destruction by what had at first seemed like a relatively harmless technique only made the self-preservation instincts of the boy call out with increasing alarm.

His opponent was, without a doubt, a dangerously powerful shinobi.

The unknown nin stood motionless in the midst of the empty clearing for a brief moment before he tilted his head in Itachi's direction. The seemingly juvenile orange mask that was patterned with swirls stared eerily at him, and the young _tensai_ was once again disconcerted by how quickly the former had discovered his well-concealed hiding place. He tensed imperceptibly.

A gravelly, amused chuckle escaped the figure on the ground.

"Very good."

And without further warning, the man attacked again, this time with the decisiveness and swiftness of a striking viper. With a speed that was distinctly inhuman, he phased out of sight and reappeared in an instant before the young Uchiha. Itachi reacted instinctively, the well-oiled gears in his mind shifting smoothly into combat mode. The unidentified enemy quickly smoked him out of hiding, the large aged oak tree that he had taken refuge in suffering extensive damage as a result of yet another quick, devastatingly powerful jutsu. Itachi was forced to go on the defensive as he faced a slew of quick, relentless attacks, falling back on his Taijutsu and speed to evade his dangerous opponent.

The advanced perception granted by the Sharingan allowed the ANBU Captain to track the lightning-quick movements of the masked man with little difficulty, and Itachi quietly bided his time, his sharp mind sifting through various tactics and backup plans even as the tomoe in his crimson eyes whirled furiously, analyzing and reading the movements and intentions of the enemy, making subtle changes in his defense to counter each of the man's offensive techniques.

The Uchiha was holding his own against the unknown foe, his blank face gave away none of his thoughts as he defended himself almost automatically. By now, they had progressed to purely Taijutsu, the combatants flowing fluidly into their respective kata with deadly grace as they continued this precarious dance of death. Then, Itachi finally spotted an opening, and he quickly took it.

The young Uchiha's surprise shown in the near imperceptible widening of his eyes when his katon jutsu merely roared _through_ the man like it was of little consequence, and then the teen had to fall back to defend himself again when the masked male attacked him without pause, completely unfazed. Itachi's mind raced to figure out the implications of what he had just seen; his opponent was obviously no Bunshin, but somehow, the man was able to survive his Goukakyuu completely unharmed. The raven-haired boy had never came across anyone with this sort of ability before, and quickly concluded that it was most likely a rare bloodline limit or a family technique. The fact that he had never heard of any clan or nin in Leaf with such skill quickly led the youth to confirm that this person was unlikely to be a Konoha shinobi, and if so, then he had just easily infiltrated the village and was now attacking a Captain class ANBU with hostile intent.

Itachi completed his information gathering process. An enemy, possibly even a spy, in Konoha was not something he had never dealt with before. The young _tensai_ preferred not to use lethal means on his opponents unless absolutely necessary _and_ only when he was sure that there were no other options, and in this situation, threatening the security of the village was something that he could not allow.

The kid gloves came off, and it was then that the young ANBU Captain truly began to go on the offensive. It was subtle at first, a systematic trial and error as the Uchiha prodigy tested the limits of the yet to be identified enemy. Almost amused by the latter's passive strategy, the masked man promptly forced him to adopt a different tactic by returning everything that Itachi had thrown at him twofold. The boy's pale, impassive face blanked even further, if it was possible, at the blatant show of superior skill and ability, but to his credit, he took everything his older opponent dished out and adapted quickly to the situation, flowing around the attacks with deceptive ease and coming up with perfectly solid counters to deflect each of the other's attempt to incapacitate him.

To the casual observer, it would seem as though neither side was winning. The two combatants traded blows with a vicious, focused intensity, only easing off briefly in between intervals to re-access the situation before clashing again in another violent attack.

An innate, well-honed sixth sense told Itachi that the masked man wasn't going all out on him. Not yet. It was almost as if the latter was toying with him…probing, testing his abilities.

The raven-haired boy wove a Genjutsu around his opponent, attempting to catch the man he was fighting in his Doujutsu.

It didn't work, and he had to leap back when the other took advantage of his surprise and got under his guard. A twist and a flip quickly got him out of striking range, and the young Uchiha readjusted his footing subtly as he got ready to reenter the skirmish.

This unknown enemy was powerful, and it looked as if Genjutsu and Ninjutsu did not work on him whatsoever. The situation was starting to become dire, and Itachi tensed slightly when his opponent made no move to attack, and instead, chuckled again.

"Impressive. You are indeed worthy to be the pride of our clan, Itachi-kun." The man stopped laughing, eying the young _tensai_with an interest that was mildly tainted by his malicious killing intent. "You are good, but not yet as good as you can be."

Itachi did not take his eyes away from the orange masked man, his gaze wary.

"Who are you?"

Uchiha Madara smiled.

He removed his mask partially, allowing the boy who shared his blood to see the glowing, fully-matured Sharingan that glittered darkly amongst his shadowed features. The younger Uchiha's eyes widened with surprise at the evidence of his family's Kekkei Genkai on this stranger, and he stilled completely when the three tomoe in each of the man's pupils shifted and morphed into something else—something that he had never seen before.

"I'm the one who can help you gain power the likes that you can only dream of, young Itachi-kun—for a price, of course."

"Tell me; have you heard of the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

* * *

The evening promised to be a peaceful one, with a full moon hanging low and pregnant in the far horizon.

Even the forest was quiet, contentedly blanketed by gentle rays of moonbeams, and in this utter stillness and tranquility, Itachi slowly came to a stop at the base of the stone stairs leading to the sacred temple of his kin. The thirteen year old ANBU Captain stared wordlessly at the squat, darkened building that rose silently above the small hill it sat on, its silhouette eerily imposing against the backdrop of the cloudless twilight canvas.

A tall, vermillion _torii_ marked the entrance to the hallowed shrine, a proud emblem mounted on the wooden _gakuzuka_ of the traditional gate, the elegant red and white motif of the _uchiwa_ proclaiming to all who came that this was the _Naka no Jinja_, the holy sanctum of the great Uchiha clan.

The shrine had been built on Uchiha land, had belonged to the Uchiha for almost as long as the clan had settled in Konoha, had decided to lay down their roots in this rich, abundant land, to help build and protect a village that they would be proud to call home. Generations of Uchiha had worshipped and prayed to the fierce war gods enshrined within this temple, asking for blessings and decisive victories in battles to bring honor and glory to their noble family and village, and in that manner of speaking, this sacred ground had both seen and heard the ambitions of the Uchiha clansmen, past and present, the statues of the deities silent witnesses to the ferocious determination and tenacious motivation of the proud clan.

"_In the Naka Shine, you will find what you seek…"_

And it was in here, that Itachi would learn the ultimate secret of his clan.

The raven-haired teen started to ascend the steps that would eventually lead to the entrance of the temple. Like a ghost, he passed soundlessly under the torii gate and proceeded to walk down the smooth, stone paved _sandō_. Twin rows of moderately spaced _dai-dōrō_ stood sentry along the path, the pagoda shaped stone lanterns shedding light onto the otherwise empty shrine grounds. The flickering firelight cast ominous shadows upon the silently snarling pair of _Komainu_ that guarded the entrance of the _haiden_—the hall of worship—which Itachi promptly ignored and bypassed.

He was not here to offer prayers to the gods; tonight, he would learn the truth, and no amount of prayers would change that truth.

"_In the main hall, look beneath the seventh tatami mat from the far right…"_

As stoic as always, the boy genius strode unperturbedly into the unlit _honden_ of the Naka Shrine, opening the heavy wooden doors just enough for him to slip inside silently and then closing them behind him. Utter darkness greeted him within the main hall, leaving no trace of light for him to exploit, and the air was utterly still, almost oppressively so. Dark, expressionless onyx slowly bled into crimson, and immediately, the Uchiha heir's night vision was thrown into sharp relief and the interior of the _honden_ was made as clear to him as if he was standing under the light of day.

Ignoring the shadowed statues of the kami around him, watching him with their frozen, silently accusing stares, the young ANBU Captain swiftly located the spot where his unknown Sharingan opponent had pinpointed. It did not take long for the Uchiha heir to discover the trigger for the trapdoor hidden under the tatami mat, quickly revealing the long unused staircase that seemed to stretch for an eternity into the darkness. Itachi descended the dusty, cobwebbed steps unhesitatingly and found himself in an underground area under the temple floors. The musty and stale air implied that it must have been decades since anyone had stepped foot into this well hidden space, and after a swift application of a minor katon jutsu, the long unused lamps of the room were given purpose once more, shedding light upon the violent history and the bloodied secrets of the Uchiha clan that had previously rested undisturbed and in obscurity within the darkness of this chamber for generations.

The Uchiha examined the interior of the small room warily. His activated Sharingan took in every detail; the advanced photographic and eidetic memories granted to him via his clan's prized doujutsu ensured that he would never forget a single thing that his eyes had gazed upon this evening. The bold, colorful murals that covered the two adjacent walls of the room caught his attention briefly, their mirroring designs clearly meant to decorate the otherwise empty, somber room, as were the twin red and white uchiwa fans that were mounted onto the fore wall, both flanking a large scroll that hung unrolled in the middle. Once again, Itachi only spared a fleeting glance at the aged document, reading the bold script inscribed there just enough to discern what he had already guessed as much; that he was standing in what used to be a secret meeting chamber of his clan, long disused and abandoned, its location previously lost to Time. Until now.

"_They say that the truth will set you free, but beware, Itachi-kun, this knowledge comes at a steep price."_

What _forced_ his attention the most, however, was the large, deceptively nondescript and plain stone tablet that sat against the base of the center wall, situated right at its very middle. His eyes, _his_ _Sharingan_, felt immediately compelled to gaze upon the undoubtedly ancient relic, instincts warning him that there was something unearthly powerful and mysterious radiating from the artifact, but before the boy could properly comprehend the reason for this disquieting sensation of foreboding, he was already automatically scanning through the lines of text that had been painstakingly carved into the stone centuries ago, his razor sharp mind swiftly assembling and interpreting the mass influx of information even as his Sharingan worked quickly to extract them from the deceptively plain and primeval monument, fragments of a time long ago whose history had been forgotten by the world as it was today.

The tablet had also revealed the origins and the blood drenched secrets of the Mangekyo Sharingan. The fatal cost of gaining such overwhelming power—the blood sacrifice of a loved one—and amongst that perverted, vile power was the very ability to control the greatest of bijuu, the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

No. _No._

Itachi stilled completely, frozen in place, a crippling sensation of growing despair and overwhelming disappointment threatening to strangle his very sense of being as he realized the entire truth in that very instant. The pale features of the Uchiha heir were expressionless as ever, but his eyes—_those cursed eyes_—reflected his distress and silent anguish in those fathomless crimson depths. He did not move for the longest time, almost as if convinced that any action on his part would just very well shatter the rest of his convictions and beliefs, in the end, leaving him with nothing concrete to hold onto, to have faith in, _irrevocably_ _lost in an endless sea of lies_.

No.

That was not true. He was not lost.

Where all else failed, there would always remain duty. Duty to one's family. Duty to one's village. Duty to one's country.

It took a long time, but with that thought firmly in mind, the visibly shaken raven-haired Uchiha pulled himself together by sheer force of will. The powerful teen closed his eyes slowly, quietly berating himself for his weakness at that moment, weakness that he could no longer afford to have, in light of the stunning revelations that had just been revealed to him. Even when all he wanted was to quietly grieve in shame, even when all he wanted was to give into panic, to briefly suffer a nervous breakdown—_what had his clansmen done, how could they, to the very village they were born in, that they had sworn to protect?_—he could not allow himself to do any such things, because he now realized that the man named Uchiha Madara was an extremely dangerous individual, far more than any being he had ever imagined encountering, and he had to protect those whom he had sworn to defend, those who were important to him, _no matter the consequences_.

"_For the sake of Konoha, I hope that you are ready to pay for it." _

* * *

Akikaze Kokkai stared at the ANBU Captain crouched respectfully at his feet. One of latter's knees touched the floor whereas the other was bent and tensed, signifying a readiness to spring into action at any moment, at his command. The teen's head was lowered in a display of loyal subservience towards his superior, his forcefully expressionless gaze locked onto the ground before him, his entire demeanor stiff with tension and stress.

Unexpectedly, the boy had called upon his private residence in the early hours of the morning, and had requested an audience with him which the _shousui_ had granted out of a sense of curiosity. Despite being the youngest ranked Captain in the history of Konoha, the heir of the Uchiha clan had been an exemplary soldier and, subsequently, leader in the entirety of his membership within the elite organization of the Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai. The thirteen year old was known for never giving his colleagues or superiors any trouble in the span of his career in ANBU, and had always completed his missions and followed his duties as unerringly and as professionally as any of the old timers within the force. He was also not arrogant of his skills and position, but surprisingly humble and well aware of his own limitations, and from the observations of his cohorts, hardworking to a fault and always demanded nothing less of perfection from himself.

Beyond that, Kokkai had also noted that the youth was exceedingly polite and calmly passive by nature, and above all, extremely loyal and trustworthy. As such, young as he was still, Uchiha Itachi was already becoming rather well respected amongst the internal ranks of ANBU, as it very well should be since only individual merit and experience were the main factors that determined hierarchy and ranking within the organization, not status, not wealth, and most definitely not politics. Not to mention, the raven-haired teenager had gained much recognition and admiration amongst his fellow Leaf nin for having fought off and survived an altercation with one of their infamous rogue nukenin, Orochimaru of the Densetsu no Sannin, and was rapidly growing into a formidable legend of his own right, much to the pride of his clan and his organization. As a potential candidate for the position of ANBU _fukushousui_, Kokkai knew that he had chosen well, and now all that remained for the elder to do was to patiently bide his time and continue to nurture the boy's many talents—both on and off the battleground—until he was old enough to take the mantle from him and successfully protect and fend off the many threats that constantly endangered Konoha.

Imagine the old man's inward surprise when he saw the normally calm, sedate youth arriving with no small amount of agitation in his demeanor, his already perpetually stressed features even paler and visibly strained than usual. The boy had come forward to greet him in the respectful manner of an ANBU before his Commander even when he was unmasked, attired in the civilian clothes of his clan.

"Shousui-sama," Itachi had whispered in a bare tone, but despite that careful effort at neutrality, Kokkai could still discern the pained sense of urgent distress in its owner's young voice, and the ANBU Commander grew even more baffled. What on earth had happened that could cause the levelheaded boy to react so strongly, and with such despair? Still, despite the air of stark despondency that inundated the young ANBU Captain, there was also a sense of gritty resolve in his demeanor, the will to do whatever it took to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Konoha. It was the way of ANBU; duty before honor, duty before self, to give everything they had to defend Konoha and the Will of Fire.

"I have a report to make."

As if saying those very words had further solidified the young Uchiha's intentions, he slowly calmed at last, the earlier feelings of confliction that tore mercilessly at him dissipating away until there left nothing but an overwhelming exhaustion of his mind, guilt, and a sharp, piercing pain in his heart for what he had to do. Kokkai's green eyes narrowed; that deceptive composure emanating from the youth was not a good sign, especially since the aged _shousui_ could tell that it was only the brief calm before the storm. He had not missed the way his protégé had seemed to have abruptly arrived at a conclusion within himself, and then there was also the grim, resigned manner in which he appeared to be carrying the weight of the entire world on those young shoulders of his—despite his many responsibilities, the boy was still barely even a teen, let alone an adult.

The ANBU Commander recognized that deadened air of finality and grief for what it was immediately, even if he still had no idea what was troubling the youth. However, the old man knew that he could not allow the younger Uchiha to continue his fatalistic line of thought no matter how hopeless the boy thought the situation was, and so he gave permission for the raven-haired Captain to continue.

"Proceed."

The youth quickly fell into the familiar habit of verbally relaying a report to his superior, emotionally distancing himself as if this was just yet another routine briefing after a mission. With an impartial tone, Uchiha Itachi proceeded to describe the events that had occurred the day before in concise, factual sentences, beginning with his encounter with the intruder who identified himself as Uchiha Madara, the latter of whom had revealed possession of a highly developed form of his clan's doujutsu, as well as his own discoveries in the shrine of his family. He forcibly separated his own opinions from his observations, and only shared the latter with his Commander as per proper protocol demanded. It was his duty to report his findings to his superior, and that was exactly what he would do.

When he was done, there was nothing but utter silence between superior and subordinate, and Itachi remained completely still, his eyes fixed at the feet of his Commander, unwilling and too deeply ashamed to meet the gaze of the elder now that the latter was aware of the sordid secrets of his clan—that they, one of the four founding clans that had helped build and create Konoha, had most likely had a hand in the summoning of the Kyuubi no Kitsune eight years ago, that his clan had housed traitors who had tried their best to destroy everything that Konoha had stood for, had attempted to gut the village that they had sworn to protect, setting loose a monolithic demon beast that was rage and hatred incarnate amongst the defenseless, resulting in the senseless slaughter and death of both civilians and nin alike.

And in the end, their Yondaime had to sacrifice himself and his entire family—his wife, his newborn son—in order to quell the destructive tempest of pure, malevolent chakra that was the Kyuubi.

Itachi flinched inwardly.

Naruto-kun. The Fourth's Legacy. The child who was forced to become the Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tails mere moments after his birth, whom the village of Konoha had hated and despised for something beyond his control, _who had served as a scapegoat for the Uchiha clan_.

Even if none of them knew it, they owed that child. The Sharingan was the responsibility of their clan; the doujutsu was a powerful tool that was their heritage and their birthright, and just as it was their duty to ensure that their kekkei genkai would not fall into the hands of outsiders, they were also similarly obligated to ensure that none of their members would abuse its power and use it to dishonor and disgrace the name of their noble clan—and they had failed in that endeavor. Whether the summoning of the Kyuubi no Kitsune was the action of a single member of his kin or many, it was obvious to Itachi that their clan had sinned, and was guilty regardless. Were the laws of old still in effect, the act of treason of an individual would mean the execution of an entire clan, and the boy genius felt himself turn cold inside at the thought.

Chichi-ue. Haha-ue. Shisui.

_Sasuke_.

But there was no choice. They owed Naruto-kun. They owed it to all those who had perished in the attack those eight years ago, to those who had lost their family and loved ones to the Kyuubi's rampage. _They owed Konoha. _

Onyx eyes were dark with silent anguish and sorrow.

It was obvious that his clan needed to take responsibility so that they could at least attempt to salvage whatever honor their family had left.

And he, as the clan heir, would have to bear the heaviest burden of them all.

Itachi closed his eyes, steeling himself for the inevitable. He knew what he had to do.

It was then, that the ANBU Commander spoke.

"So you know the truth now." The grizzled old man did not sound particularly surprised by his subordinate's report, having already known that the unknown perpetrator of the Kyuubi attack was very likely an Uchiha, or failing that, at least someone who possessed the Sharingan. The Council of Elders had all suspected the Uchiha clan from the very beginning, after all, but it was rather apparent to Kokkai now, with Itachi's admission, that the boy's clansmen could not have been involved in the attack. He was faintly surprised that Itachi had chosen to reveal the truth to him instead of keeping his silence on the matter, for Kokkai was aware that the great clans often attempted to internalize the loyalty of its members before the village, even though they would all deny the truth if accused of doing so.

The fact that Itachi had gone against the ingrained teachings of his family just further proved to the ANBU _shousui_ that the boy's love for Konoha clearly exceeded that of his loyalty to his clan. Even if he was greatly conflicted, even if he knew that he risked bringing irreparable dishonor to his family, he was still determined to do his duty to his village. Kokkai did not envy the Uchiha heir for his position right now, but the Akikaze could not deny that he felt grudgingly proud of the boy, and that the youth's actions and determination abruptly reminded him of his own son.

They were all so young, but already ready to sacrifice everything they had for the sake of their village.

But unlike his son whom he could not save, Kokkai would make damned sure that this boy kneeling before him would not be lost before he could be polished into something truly amazing to behold, before he had the chance to make his mark on the world, to become one of the largest jewels in Konoha's crown of achievements. Perhaps old Saru was right after all, the old ANBU Commander mused meditatively, for even though those who had gone before them were no longer around, the Will of Fire was still alive and would be passed on to the next generation, and he could see that it clearly burned strongly in his protégé.

It would be a shame to let that magnificent flame sputter out before its time.

Itachi had not expected the lack of negative reaction from his mentor. It was enough to startle him from his grim thoughts. The young ANBU Captain raised his head at last to study his superior, only to find the old man staring hard at him with fierce green eyes that lacked censure or disgust. It dawned to the Uchiha heir that the Commander must have known all along.

"Shousui-sama, you knew." It was not a question, but a statement of fact. Itachi wondered how the older man had discerned the truth, and then quickly realized the answer for himself. Konoha must have suspected his clan from the very beginning, and as much as it hurt to be distrusted by the very village he had been born and raised in, the fact that the suspicion was not unjustified tormented the boy genius even more. His features were blank, his eyes completely expressionless as he continued to regard his Commander.

"My entry into ANBU," Itachi pointed out quietly. "It was an excuse to keep a close eye on me."

Kokkai snorted at that.

"Boy, don't flatter yourself," the aged Akikaze retorted derisively. "You may be good for your age, but you are not that good to require the ANBU _Shousui_ to personally 'keep an eye on you.'"

Actually, the Uchiha heir was more than just good for his age, had already gone way beyond that, in fact, but Kokkai certainly had no intention of telling him so. Still, the mild look of confusion that flickered across the youth's dark eyes, not to mention that fleeting expression of chagrin before it, was extremely gratifying to see. A bit of the earlier tension ebbed away from young Itachi's stiff form, and he tilted his head ever so slightly to the side, quietly waiting for his answer.

"Use that head of yours that your clan is always claiming to be extra special, boy. If I really believed that you were a security risk, wouldn't that make me nine different kinds of fool to still promote you to Captaincy?" Kokkai scoffed. "I have not gone senile yet, thank you very much. No, I have plans for you, young Uchiha Itachi, and they do not include catering to the delusions of grandeur of every enemy of Konoha who decides to drop by, special swirly red eye or no."

The raven-haired appeared faintly stunned by his Shousui's flippant reply. It briefly occurred to the boy that the Commander must not have registered the severity of the implications of what he had just revealed. _Uchiha Madara was dangerous, and he hated Konoha with the entirety of his very being._

"Shousui-sama," Itachi tried again, inwardly bewildered by the elder's response. "That masked man who claimed to be Uchiha Madara has boldly indicated his intention to attack Konoha-"

Kokkai just scowled fiercely at his protégé, quickly growing irritated. It was obvious that this unexpected revelation about his clan had deeply shaken the teen, enough that he wasn't even thinking properly at the moment. Thank god the youth was at least lucid enough to come straight to him instead of just muddling things through himself. Elsewise, knowing the boy and his clear reluctance to rely on and trouble others, he would have probably tried to handle the situation by himself and then promptly go right off to do something extremely self-sacrificing and altruistic.

Kokkai knew the young Uchiha's type like the back of his own hand. He had, after all, once raised a son whose character was very much like this boy's.

Just thinking of the past, even if unintentionally so, quickly brought a burst of annoyance in the cantankerous old man.

"Boy!" the Akikaze barked out harshly then, causing the younger nin to fall silent immediately. "For goodness' sake, are you ANBU or not? Tell me, how many enemies have you encountered so far that have not indicated intention to harm Konoha? None, that's how many! All of those stinking bastards are out to get us and ours, and this time around is no different. It is business as usual, so stop acting like a stuck up, self-absorbed Uchiha heir and start thinking this matter through like an ANBU Captain!"

His sharp command was enough to jolt the teen from his troubled thoughts. The Uchiha heir stared at him momentarily, and Kokkai could all but see the gears start turning in the younger nin's head. At least he was beginning to return to his senses. That fucker who was jerking the chain of his student was good, the old man acknowledged grudgingly. He had done his research well, knowing that despite the youth's great intelligence and incredible combat prowess, he held no lust for battle and was a pacifist by nature. The young Uchiha also took his responsibilities as a ninja and his clan's heir very seriously, all things considered. Therefore, the most obvious angle to get at the boy would be through a threat aimed at either the village or his clan, both of which this supposed Uchiha Madara had wasted no time exploiting.

Kokkai would have to spend a longer time further analyzing the motives of the unknown nin, but at the moment, it did seem that somebody was going the extra mile to threaten the Uchiha heir into abandoning his village, and that was something that could not be allowed. Uchiha Itachi was too important to be cut loose just like that, in light of the precarious political situation of his clan as well as his personal talents and abilities. He would be the bridge to link his clan to the rest of the village, and hopefully, it would be a start towards the end of the ridiculous feud between the Senju and the Uchiha.

Besides, Konoha simply could not afford to risk losing someone who was as prodigious and brimming with potential as this boy whom Kokkai had decided would one day become his successor.

"I swear," the ANBU Commander grumbled crossly under his breath even as he eyed the nin still crouched at his feet under bushy, reddish grey brows. "Sometimes I forget that you are so much younger than the rest of the other Captains, and therefore still lack maturity and experience compared to the others. Without a doubt, you are extremely observant and possess incredible intellect and foresight, Itachi, but the truth of the matter is that you are still young, and for all your genius, your emotional growth has barely even caught up with the rest of your astounding abilities."

The young ANBU Captain just watched his mentor, silently awaiting an explanation. Kokkai sighed gustily and obliged. "That is a downside that I have often observed in young prodigies like you; you hold yourself to a much higher standard compared to the others, and as such, you tend not to depend on other people. You are remarkably independent for your age, and as convenient as that is for everyone around you, it can also turn into a weakness that an astute enemy can easily exploit."

"No man is an island, kid, and by choosing to isolate yourself, you make it easy for others to manipulate you. Tell me, after learning the secrets of your clan and the threat that this Uchiha Madara posed to the village, what was your plan to deal with the situation?"

The young Uchiha hesitated briefly before he started to speak, and he chose his words carefully.

"That man implied that he had every intention to destroy Konoha, and that after knowing the truth, I would be willing to join him to take vengeance for the injustices that had been dealt to our clan by the village. I can tell that he is very powerful, Shousui-sama, and he cannot be left unchecked. I am unable to defeat him as I am right now, therefore, the only plausible solution would be to take him up on his offer, in order to keep an eye on him and watch him to learn more of his motives."

Kokkai eyed the youth sharply. "You speak of treason, boy."

There was a flicker of intense pain that rippled in the young Uchiha's eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. "Yes," he whispered. "But I can see no other alternatives. That man possessed the Sharingan, and that makes him the responsibility of my clan."

The Akikaze was hard pressed not to mutter rude things under his breath. The boy's noble, selfless way of thinking was quickly getting on his nerves. Kokkai decided that he needed to disabuse the youth of that notion quickly, lest he started to permanently adopt that fatalistic type of viewpoint, and started to see himself as expendable in the grand scheme of things. The fate of every shinobi was to become a tool for the betterment of his village, but his protégé was no mere tool to be used by just anyone. The Uchiha would be groomed to be his successor, and no respectable ANBU Commander would see himself as expendable, especially when he had an army of ANBU who depended on him for guidance and leadership.

"I see that your clan has brainwashed you well," Kokkai replied caustically at last, and then he glared fiercely at the young Captain. "I do not deny that the Sharingan may be the responsibility of your clan, but is it not true that the safety and wellbeing of the village is the responsibility of each and every Leaf nin?"

Itachi's eyes widened slightly in surprise; he had clearly not thought of the matter that way. The boy looked down to the floor once more.

"I…merely wish to avoid any more needless conflicts," he admitted quietly.

Kokkai could not help himself, he barked out a harsh laugh. Despite all the bloodshed and killings he had witnessed and initiated as a member of ANBU, it was strangely ironic that the boy still possessed such an idealistic way of thinking.

"Then you are in the wrong damn line of work, young Itachi," the _shousui_ rasped harshly. "The life of a shinobi is unforgiving and difficult, and constantly interspersed with the struggle between life and death. That is even truer for us in ANBU; just as the skin on the side of our shoulder is permanently inked with the insignia of ANBU, our souls are also permanently marked by the blood that we have spilled."

The ANBU Commander gave his young subordinate a stern, unsympathetic look. "You will have to accept sooner or later that conflict is the bread and butter of our daily lives, kid. It is unavoidable, and the only thing we can do is to prepare ourselves to face it the best that we can. If there are no more conflicts in the world, then there will have no need for shinobi to exist. Do not be so conceited as to actually think that you will be able to save the world just by sacrificing yourself. That type of thinking is extremely narcissistic and incredibly stupid. You may be an unsurpassed genius and the scion of a clan of powerful bloodline limit users, but you are not nearly important enough to make that type of impact."

Kokkai was being deliberately harsh as he systematically shot down the boy's well-meaning intentions. The other nin might hate him for it later but it had to be done. The Uchiha heir needed to be taught this lesson; the young ninjas always think themselves infallible, the world laid out at their feet and the sky's the limit, but their seniors knew better. As selfless as his purpose was, Itachi needed to learn that it was impossible to do everything by himself.

However, looking at the bleak features of the teen, it quickly occurred to Kokkai that the boy had probably known all along his own limitations in the matter.

But still, he was willing to do whatever it took to keep the powerful threat away from Konoha, to protect his village, to redeem the besmirched honor of his clan.

Kokkai felt a headache threatening to overwhelm him, and he hadn't even had his morning tea yet. Already, the aged Commander could tell that today was not going to be a good day.

Itachi's voice was barely audible as he spoke next, and in his quiet, accepting tone, there were no signs of anger or discontent at his mentor's earlier biting remarks, only a sense of weary finality and the bitter determination to do what was right no matter the cost.

"I'm aware that I'm only a mere pawn in this game," the boy admitted starkly, faltering briefly as he struggled inwardly with the gut wrenching, conflicting emotions and dark despair that threatened to overwhelm him. The unsteady grief showed clearly on his young, stressed face, even as he did his best to hide the display of weakness from his superior. It was obvious to him what he had to do the moment he knew the truth, even when he had wanted so badly to ignore the situation, to pretend that there was another way, that he didn't have to make such a painful decision. _But he had to. There was no other choice. _

He was the clan heir, the genius, the ANBU Captain. He was obligated to protect the village he was born in, the village he loved, had sworn to lay down his life for its defense if need be, just as he was blood bound to uphold the honor of his proud clan the very moment he was born to the noble house. By all rights and intentions, the defense of his village and his clan should have been a synonymous goal, the prosperity of the Uchiha directly tied to the wellbeing of Konoha—_he shouldn't have had to be forced to choose_. But his clan, power thirsty and hungrily ambitious, had housed traitors—now he knew why, why the village elders had always seemed so wary of the Uchiha, that even if the rest of the village did not know the truth, the upper echelon of Konoha's ruling nobility knew very well just what his family was capable of.

Still looking resolutely at the floor, Itachi closed his eyes, visibly pained by the knowledge once more. For the sake of his clan, to redeem whatever honor that was left, for his family, his parents, cousins, Sasuke, all who had been innocent of the crimes and treachery of their kin, it was his duty to perform the ultimate sacrifice.

_Never mind that he, too, had been just as innocent as them. _

His clan. His responsibility. His cross to bear.

"But I cannot stand by and do nothing," the boy's resolve was firm and unwavering despite his badly conflicted heart and hidden anguish. "That man must be stopped, and at all costs."

Kokkai stared at the youth crouched before him. He said nothing for a long time. It seemed the young Uchiha had already made up his mind.

"Boy," he spoke at last, his tone calmly contemplative but still commandingly authoritative. "Tell me; what is the traditional expression that we Leaf nin use, the very important vow that we never fail to iterate at the end of every mission briefing, whenever we leave the village for an assignment?"

The thirteen year old, though inwardly disconcerted by the random question, did not hesitate to answer his _shousui_ all the same.

"Long live Konoha, and the Will of Fire," Itachi breathed the words quietly, but despite the softness of his reply, there was an unspoken strength and dignified conviction behind his declaration. The boy was truly a patriot who loved his village with his very being, even if that love was slowly killing him right now.

Well, that would definitely not do. Kokkai crossed his arms over his chest and continued to stare down at the bowed head of his subordinate.

"And do you understand the reason why we say that?" the Akikaze persisted on his line of questioning. "Do you _know_ the meaning of the Will of Fire?"

He had Itachi there. The youth paused, brow furrowing ever so slightly as he tried to unearth the hidden significance of the elder's query. He could sense that it was important and somehow linked to this entire situation that they were facing, but for all his genius, he could not seem to form an acceptable reply at that moment.

The Will of Fire was an ideal that had been present for as long as Konoha's founding. It was synonymous with the village itself, and it stated that every true Konoha shinobi must love, believe, cherish and fight for the village's sake, as many previous generations had done before them. Itachi knew that his mentor was not looking for the textbook definition that all the children attending the Academy were taught, and not understanding what else the aged male was asking of him, the teenager fell silent.

Kokkai huffed, not entirely surprised by Itachi's lack of reply. The true principles behind Konoha's spiritual heritage were so intricate and simply complex that the dumbed down, watered down version that had been taught in the Academy didn't even begin to cover a mere fraction of its brilliance and importance. In fact, most Leaf nin couldn't even begin to understand or appreciate those seemingly pretty words that they swore day in and day out until after at least years of service to their village, when they had gained more experience, had lost, bled and cried for their share tragedies and misfortunes, for the sake of Konoha. Unfortunately, some, like Orochimaru and Danzo, who for all their intelligence and sharp cunning, would live their entire lives never understanding the sheer significance and impact of that ideal, that made generations after generations of Konoha shinobi so willing to lay their lives down to protect and defend it.

However, Kokkai had every confidence that this youth kneeling before him would not be like them.

"Figures," the reddish gray-haired old man snorted in an unimpressed manner. "Impulsive, hot blooded youngsters. So rash and eager to sacrifice yourself for the cause but have no true idea whatsoever what you are giving up yourself for."

Itachi tensed slightly at the rebuke but kept his silence. Kokkai sighed gustily and continued.

"Look at me, boy." Respectful as ever, the young Uchiha finally lifted his dark gaze to his mentor's sharp bright green ones. The stress and anxiety that the youth was under was overwhelming and quite obvious, but the elder showed no sign of pity whatsoever for the young Captain. The kid was tough, he would survive this.

"At your command, Shousui-sama," Itachi answered quietly in the typical tradition of ANBU, his features automatically becoming blank and impassive as he awaited his orders. Kokkai ignored the transition, allowing the youth to fall back upon his coping mechanism without comment.

"I will make you a deal. Right now, I want you to go out there-" Here, the _shousui_ jerked his head sharply to the side, indicating the village. "-and look for the answers to my earlier questions to you. The Will of Fire. I want you to find it."

It was not a request, but an order.

The Uchiha heir paused briefly at the rather unorthodox demand. But he would not disobey his Commander, and so he inclined his head once. "Hai, Shousui-sama."

Kokkai looked briefly satisfied by his subordinate's obliging reply.

"I will process the information that you have relinquished and convene with Hokage-sama to further discuss the matter. You are not, I repeat, _not_ to establish any form of contact with that masked man until we have worked out a suitable plan to deal with that motherfucker. If he approaches you before that, you are to retreat. _Do not engage_, do you understand?"

Something flickered across the teen's deliberately neutral onyx eyes then—a silent protest—before he nodded once more. Soundlessly. On a side note, Kokkai was grimly pleased to see that his protégé was not a complete automaton like those Root ANBU were. The boy clearly believed that his solution was the best option to take in light of the situation but still he deferred to his superior like the good soldier that he was trained to be. No doubt Itachi would just see it as penance for the sins of his clan by condemning himself to a life on the run as a nukenin, but the ANBU Commander had no intention to let his future _fukushousui_ just run off like that before he could take the damn post.

His subordinate would require convincing—for all his placid nature and respectful demeanor, the young Captain could be surprisingly stubborn and determined once he made up his mind. It was an annoying trait and a good one all the same, Kokkai thought crossly. Good because ANBU vice-commander candidates should not be pussyfooting around and dithering uncertainly over decisions, and annoying because Kokkai would have to deal with it for as long as he had Itachi under his wings.

It just figured that of all the Uchiha in that arrogant, self-serving clan, he would end up training the one and only noble, self-sacrificing one. He harrumphed, clearly aggravated.

"As for your _suggestion_, I will consider it if you cannot locate that which I ask you to seek." The old man finally agreed. "Perhaps Konoha deserves to burn if even one as sharp as you cannot find the one thing that so many Leaf nin had given up their lives for." There was a subtle bitterness in his voice that caused Itachi to cant his head a mere fraction to the side to observe his mentor, but the moment disappeared as if it had never happened, and Kokkai continued smoothly.

"However, in the event that you understand what I have been trying to tell you, I want you to do something for me."

Crouched at his feet, the young Uchiha merely waited for his next orders, perfectly still.

Kokkai's green eyes turned stony and absolutely uncompromising. "I want you to think hard and decide which is more important to you; the honor of your clan, or the wellbeing of the village that you have sworn to defend."

The Uchiha heir visibly paled in reaction, his strained features tightening reflexively as he flinched imperceptibly, but the ANBU Commander ruthlessly ignored the former's telling reaction and persisted.

"You may only choose one," the elder told the raven-haired youth bluntly, unsympathetically. "You cannot have both and still think to fulfill your objectives with half assed convictions. I will give you one day to make your decision. Return here tomorrow with your answer, and I shall base your next course of actions depending on your reply. My advice to you is to consider wisely and choose well, boy, because there will be no turning back after that. Dismissed," Kokkai ended curtly.

"Hai, Shousui-sama. By your leave." Itachi's face was completely blank as he rose to his feet, and even though the desperation in the teenager was almost strong enough to taste, he kept it resolutely confined within himself, had the strength of mind not to fall apart and break down even when he very much wanted to. As much as Kokkai felt sympathy for the boy and his unfortunate dilemma, his own expression was equally neutral as he watched his subordinate automatically sketch a respectful bow of farewell to him before retreating from his living hall.

It was not fair that the young teen had to be forced to choose between his blood kin and his village, but then again, life was never fair. The boy would have to learn younger than most that dying was not the ultimate sacrifice for a shinobi, but rather, living was. Living, and the knowledge that one would do whatever it took to protect the village of one's origin, even at the cost of one's self, one's honor, or even one's family.

There was no other way, no compromises, no concessions. One way or another, Uchiha Itachi would learn that while it took a great man to die for his cause, it would take an even greater one to live for his.

Kokkai closed his eyes briefly and felt the years weighing down heavily upon his aged shoulders. He was getting too old for this, but there was no one left to share in his burdens. The elder sighed and twitched his hand faintly. Almost instantaneously, the captain of his personal guard detail materialized right before him in a motionless crouch, responding promptly to his subtle signal.

"At your command, Shousui-sama," the muffled voice behind the silently snarling Inu mask was crisply impartial and blandly dispassionate, but Kokkai wondered if the silver-haired Hatake truly felt as sedate as he sounded, especially considering his personal history with the Uchiha clan. It was fortunate that Kakashi was on rotation today; despite what the entire Uchiha clan thought of the Sharingan-stealing outsider, the young man had always retained a somewhat detached sense of loyalty to the family of his deceased teammate, and would therefore keep what he had overheard earlier to himself even on threat of death.

Of course, there was also the advantage that the Hatake had served as the Uchiha heir's Captain before the latter was appointed the rank himself and was therefore reasonably acquainted with younger nin.

"You heard, I presume."

Inu said nothing, his silence an answer in itself. Kokkai continued, unperturbed.

"What are your observations? Possible flight risk?"

"…possible, but unlikely." Hatake answered at last, sounding as calm and placid as ever. "Itachi will not disobey a direct order. However, I can always assemble a discreet watch detail if you wish it, Shousui-sama."

Kokkai briefly considered the suggestion before he shook his shaggy head.

"No," he replied at last. "Let him be. I'm confident that he will choose the right path for himself. That boy cannot be bound to the village by force—he will need to tie himself down to it willingly. I won't accept anything less, so assigning a watch detail to him will be a waste of resources. We have other things to worry about right now."

"First of all, I need you verify the intel that Itachi has given us; go to the Naka Shrine and see what you can find—and do it discreetly. I also want to see Jiraiya ASAP; send out feelers to track him down and inform him that he is needed back in Konoha. If he resists the summon, tell him that I will personally see to it that he is banned from all the whore houses in the entirety of Fire Country if he doesn't return in all due haste. Time is of the essence here; somebody is going to a lot of trouble trying to implicate the Uchiha clan and I want to know why."

Now that the young Uchiha was no longer in the picture, the quiet, harsh fury in the ANBU Commander's voice was simply unmistakable. Some opportunistic bastard with a severe red eye was trying to poach away his protégé from right under his very nose and he would be damned if he let him, Uchiha Madara or not.

Hatake Kakashi inclined his head once in acknowledgement. The silver-haired ANBU Captain would carry out his orders and investigate the matter thoroughly and with impartial finesse, regardless of his connection to the Uchiha and its clan heir.

"Hai, Shousui-sama. It will be done."

* * *

_::tsuzuku::_

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Hey, everyone! Long time no see (or read, if you want to be technical about it)! Uhm, I'm alive and kicking after all this while, and you guessed it, this first section is going to be reserved for some serious groveling (on my part) for my very long hiatus from the Naruto fandom, so feel free to skip this portion if you are a new reader. Really, you don't need (or want) to read this part.

First of all, please accept my sincerest apologies for leaving you guys so suddenly like that, even though a number of you never gave up on me. I have received many encouraging reviews and messages during the span of my hiatus (as well as some really frustrated, angry ones), and even though I haven't responded to most, I'd like to use this space to thank all the aforementioned people for attempting to reach out to me regardless. I know that I have taken my own sweet time coming back to this fandom, but hopefully, I will be able to stay long enough to finish all the fics that I have started this time around, or at least, that's my goal!

I won't bore you guys by prattling too much about what I have been doing the past two years, but I have never stopped writing (I wrote for the Hitman Reborn! Fandom for quite a while, and am still doing so in fact), so coming back to Naruto was not a difficult transition at all. Actually, the most trouble I encountered was forcing myself to catch up to the most recent Naruto arc, because Kishimoto had made it so ludicrous that reading it was akin to pulling teeth. As I have told my beta earlier, I have indeed sunk to an all-time low, to be reading a manga I no longer enjoy just so that I can resume writing fanfiction for it.

But that at least counts for dedication, right?

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Now, onto the actual chapter notes.

I believe I have mentioned this before, but I'd like to make it known once again that I plan to keep CP's plot as close to canon-verse as possible—well, as close as a non-massacre AU fic can get, at the very least. So, for the majority of you who were freaking out after reading this chapter and wondering if 'Itachi is going off them or not,' don't worry, I promised non-massacre, so I will deliver that at the very least. The Uchiha clan is saved because paws_bells says so, hahaha!

Lame jokes aside, the challenge is to write a realistic non-massacre AU whilst _still_ keeping true to the canon plot, so in order to facilitate that, I will have to warn that the next couple of chapters will be rather heavy on plot development and less focused on ItaSaku moments, though those will come eventually, just not so much at this point of time. At age thirteen, Itachi's attention will be taken up by the threat of Uchiha Madara/Tobi as well as the conflict of duties between his village and his clan. He is at a crossroad and it is a major turning point in his life, where he will have his hands full dealing with whichever choice he chooses. Like this chapter, the next couple of installments will also be mostly Itachi-centric, but that will ease off after I'm done with the Uchiha affair.

Of course, Sakura will also encounter her share of troubles as she grows up, but the girl is still relatively young right now and unlikely to experience problems on the same magnitude as what Itachi is facing at the moment, so for now, we will get to deal with one crisis at a time.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I'm pretty sure that Uchiha Madara has identified himself as Tobi the first time he met Itachi in canon-verse, and that it was actually Itachi who had approached Madara/Tobi to offer him the deal to execute the entire Uchiha clan in exchange for sparing Konoha, but I'm switching some things around since CP-verse's Clan Uchiha had not plotted to take over the village, and therefore the Konoha Council have no ground to order the annihilation of the Sharingan bloodline.

As such, the basis for the meeting between Itachi and Madara/Tobi had to be altered, and in CP, the latter is interested in recruiting the former for his organization, and has deliberately sought the younger nin out to test the teen's abilities.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I'm not quite certain just what type of shrine the Naka no Jinja is, but I will go out on a limb and guess that the Uchiha, as a powerful ninja clan, would more likely worship war gods than, say, the gods of love and marriage.

Also, as I wasn't able to find a detailed picture of the Uchiha temple, I improvised and assumed that it would have at least the basic structures of most Japanese Shinto shrines, and worked my way up from there. For those who were confused about the terms that I have used, here is a small glossary, extracted from the ever handy Wikipedia:

Torii – Shinto gate

Gakuzuka – Center of the torii between the two horizontal lintels, sometimes covered by a tablet carrying the name of the shrine

Sandō – The road leading to the shrine

Dai-dōrō – Decorative stone lanterns placed along the sandō

Komainu – Guardian dogs of the shrine

Haiden – Oratory or hall of worship

Honden – Main hall, enshrining the kami

Hope that this explains all the terms mentioned in this chapter!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I will not lie; Itachi is going to be rather depressing/emo in the next few chapters, if you cannot guess it already. He is going to feel lost, confused and be placed under immense pressure, and he will need to rediscover his purpose before things start getting better, but they will, eventually.

Personally, I think Itachi is a very self-sacrificing and altruistic character, and as noble and admirable that is, I don't necessarily agree that the choices that he has made in canon-verse were entirely for the best, even if most of the time he had done so under the belief that there were no better alternatives. He tried to do too much by himself, tried to bear all the burdens alone, and in the end, everything that he had done was still not enough, even if he was an unrivaled genius who possessed uncanny foresight and could easily predict events that had yet come to pass. Although it wasn't Itachi's intention, I think poor Sasuke got screwed in the head one too many times by his older brother and became something of a basket case, and worse still, he became a horrendously destructive crazy. By the time Itachi understood that he was wrong to have attempted to do everything on his own, it was already too late and everything had already gone to hell in a hand basket.

In CP-verse, I'm working with the idea of an Itachi who managed to learn that important lesson early on—due to the pointed interference of a certain ANBU _shousui_—and I'm quite pleased with the possibilities this variation brings to the plot. I believe it will help tie everything together, but I will not spoil the story by revealing too much now. I think most of you will understand as the fic progresses, but for those who are confused, feel free to drop me a review and I will try my best to get back to you.

Well, nothing else to say other than that I'm really excited to be back!

Until next time, guys!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

-paws


	8. Chapter 8

**Title:** cabbage patch

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/General/Humor

**Word Count:** 11,918

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #23, cabbage patch

**Rating: **T (Contains content not suitable for children)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Non-massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.

**Created on:** 07/11/11

**Completed on:** 17/11/11

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 08/12/11

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

"You look like shit, little cousin." Shisui greeted bluntly by way of observation. "ANBU working you too hard?'

The Uchiha heir didn't even flinch at his older relative's sudden presence, but merely flicker his blank onyx eyes over to meet that of his Military Police counterpart. The staggering air of weariness and exhaustion in the younger teen's very demeanor was shocking to see, and it was as if the boy had aged decades overnight. Itachi said nothing as he mechanically returned his gaze forward, looking as if he possessed the soul of a tired, emaciated old man stuffed into the body of a haggard looking young teen, and not for the first time, Shisui silently cursed the Uchiha elders to hell and back for consigning his cousin to such a miserable, wretched existence. It seemed that every time he saw Itachi, the kid's psychological wellbeing appeared to have deteriorated even worse.

Shisui wondered to himself just how much more pressure Itachi could take before he completely cracked. The younger Uchiha had always been a solemn and serious child even when he was very young, though at least back then, the boy still retained the ability to express himself, even if he didn't always choose to do so. But the youth that he had become now had lost even that small semblance of childhood innocence, the bloodied missions that he continuously took as an ANBU as well as his increasing responsibilities as Captain and clan heir ensuring that even that last flicker of normalcy was quickly strangled and completely suppressed, until there was nothing left but a ruthlessly efficient assassin in the deceptive guise of a young teenager.

Now, Itachi was so damned good at what he did that even the members of their clan looked upon him with awe—and apprehension. Shisui wondered if Itachi knew just how much he intimidated even the members of their own family, but the older teen had never asked. It wasn't the kid's fault that he had been forged into a living weapon at the orders of their clan elders—it wasn't as if Itachi wanted to be in this awful position in the first place. In fact, it was rather obvious to those who bothered to look closely—his poor cousin clearly hated what he had been forced to turn into, the cold blooded, accomplished killer that he had been trained from birth to become constantly at odds with his passive, peaceful nature.

Shisui moved to stand beside his genius blood kin, both leaning against the railing that flanked the banks of the peaceful Naka River. It was late afternoon, and a lazy orange glow blanketed the entirety of Konoha as the huge fiery sun started to dip lethargically in the west. The waters that flowed in the river that bordered the Uchiha lands were peaceful and its surface appeared to glimmer softly under the dimming sunlight. For a brief moment, neither of the Uchiha spoke, content to simply gaze upon the water, lost in their own thoughts.

Eventually, the older male turned his head slightly to the side to regard his relative. He winced inwardly once more at the boy's severely stressed, strained features. Itachi looked like death warmed over, and Shisui briefly wondered when was the last time his cousin had slept. He didn't usually look this bad. "What's wrong, kid?"

Itachi did not answer for the longest time, and when he finally did so, he did not look at his relative, choosing instead to stare impassively at the river.

"…Have you ever wondered why our clan has always seemed isolated from the other ninja clans?" the young ANBU Captain asked at last in an odd tone.

Shisui tensed slightly in surprise at the unexpected question. His gaze centered on the youth instantly, but Itachi was not done yet. Still not looking at his older cousin, he continued.

"Most of the nin that come from our House are traditionally assigned to the Konoha Military Police. Strange; there aren't a lot of us in active rotation for missions outside of Konoha. Why is that so?"

It was apparent by now that Itachi's line of questioning was not a randomly coincidental one. An air of acute discomfort surrounded Shisui as he stared sharply at the deadened youth. Perhaps he was wrong to assume that the teen's distressed demeanor was due to his ANBU duties as it usually was. Could it be that his cousin had stumbled upon some unfavorable facts about their clan?

"You are thinking too much about this, Itachi," Shisui smoothly replied in a deliberately casual manner. "We are a clan of advanced bloodline limit wielders; it makes sense that the village will want to keep us and, by extent, the Sharingan out of the hands of our enemies."

There was a long silence, and Shisui wondered if his cousin had bought his weak excuse, even though it was also the official explanation that the clan used to explain to their members just why most of them were effectively grounded in Konoha indefinitely.

Itachi slowly turned to meet the gaze of his older relative. There was an inscrutable expression in the younger Uchiha's impossibly still features, and Shisui intuitively understood even before the former spoke that he already knew the ugly truth behind their clan's blood-shrouded secrets.

"We are not trusted with the Sharingan."

The short sentence completely summarized the unhealthy and increasingly strained relationship between their clan and the village. Shisui flinched inwardly at the empty remark.

"Aa," the older Uchiha could only admit regretfully at last. "So you really do know. Who told you?"

It was highly unlikely that the Uchiha elders were the ones to reveal this shameful secret. Most who knew either feigned ignorance or somehow convinced themselves that it was a lie, sweeping it under the carpet and pretending to forget about it. None would have divulged the humiliating information to the clan's esteemed heir. Even he himself had found out by chance, the initially unbelievable, but subsequently undeniable, truth.

Itachi did not answer him. Shisui sighed, restraining the urge to rub at his temples. It was a good thing that they were currently in a completely secluded portion of country down by the riverside—this was hardly a topic that could be discussed in the presence of outsiders.

"Do you resent our village now?" Shisui asked quietly, resigned. It was an easy conclusion to make, after all.

His younger cousin continued to stare at him, guarded.

"Why…would I do that?" the youth asked in return, watching as his relative unconsciously relaxed in response. "We owe Konoha more than it does us."

So that was why Itachi had looked so troubled and distraught. He was right, though. Were their clan based in other villages and there was the faintest suspicion that it was their own who had summoned the Kyuubi no Kitsune to attack and ravage the very land they had sworn to defend, the entire Uchiha bloodline would have been executed right away—from the oldest member to its youngest, no exceptions. In that aspect, Konoha had truly been lenient—and merciful.

"Yeah, we do," Shisui agreed quietly at last, turning back to look upon the peaceful scene of the river. "Sandaime-sama has been kind, perhaps more so than we deserve."

Itachi wondered at the rueful tone of his cousin. "How many know the truth?" he asked. Shisui shrugged.

"The village elders, I suppose. Hokage-sama. Our clan elders. Your father. I'm not so sure about your mother, but then again, I never went around asking. We are not supposed to be aware of this, you know," the older Uchiha glanced pointedly at his younger, exhausted looking counterpart. "And by the way, I don't think that you should try to interview every single member of our clan for their intentions like you are doing to me right now, kid. Not all of us share the same opinion, and even though I concede to your skills in battle, your efforts at subterfuge still need much work, little cousin."

It was a small attempt at wry humor, but as usual, Itachi failed to rise to take the bait. Shisui's words of caution were appreciated but hardly necessary. The Uchiha heir had always been considerably close to his cousin, and as such, there had been enough trust between the former and the latter for Itachi to divulge his newly discovered secret, knowing inherently that Shisui would honor his faith in him.

"What I really want to know, however, is how you found out," Shisui continued, eyeing Itachi quizzically. The Uchiha elders would not have readily volunteered such sensitive and potentially damaging information, so that meant that somebody out there was very likely plotting against his clan—and he had a very good guess just who, that bastard. Shisui's eyes narrowed. "Have you been approached by someone as well?"

Itachi tensed imperceptibly at the question, and that was answer enough for his older relative. Shisui stiffened as well, agitated. "Was it Danzo?"

Surprise flared in Itachi's dark eyes. "Danzo?" the teen whispered, quietly astounded. "Elder Shimura? You were told by him?"

Shisui frowned. Judging by his cousin's start of surprise, it was apparent Danzo was not the culprit. So that wily old war hawk had not tried to sway Itachi to his side like Shisui had assumed he might, though unbeknownst to the older Uchiha, that failure to do so was not from lack of intention. After all, unlike Shisui, Itachi had a very powerful backer in the form of the ANBU _shousui_. The Akikaze had quickly made it very clear that he would not tolerate any unsanctioned attempts on his protégé, and so Danzo had no choice but to make do with another alternative.

The cunning elder had approached Shisui a year ago, and it was through the crippled Shimura that the older Uchiha cousin had learned the awful truth of his clan. Shisui knew better than to think that Danzo had revealed the information out of the kindness of his cold, shriveled heart, and had always dealt with the old man carefully and warily—especially since the non-Uchiha elder should not have known so much about his clan in the first place. It was relieving to learn that Danzo had not tried the same trick with his younger cousin, not that the old coot would have succeeded in gaining what he was looking for, but at the same time, Itachi's unspoken implications quickly revealed something worse—there was someone else out there who knew more than he should and was attempting to use the knowledge to manipulate the heir of his clan.

Shisui's eyes hardened. "If not Danzo, then who told you?"

Itachi's gaze shuttered, long since recovered from his surprise. "It's not necessary for you to know, Shisui. I will deal with it at my own discretion," the young ANBU Captain replied unflinchingly, and it was obvious that he would not budge on the matter.

His older relative was sorely tempted to demand more information but knew better than to do so. It would be wasted effort anyway; Itachi could be very secretive if he chose to be, and right now the teen was absolutely closed mouth about the identity of the unknown enemy. But at least the youth now knew that he should be wary of Danzo's slyness as well.

Shisui frowned slightly, and then he reluctantly relented. "You are playing a dangerous game here, cousin," he warned at last. "I hope you know what you are doing."

The hint of concern in the older nin's tone made Itachi eye Shisui blankly, and as usual, the overt lack of response made the former roll his eyes in exasperation. "And get some sleep if you have nothing better to do than to skulk along riverbanks; you look like you are going to drop dead at any moment," he muttered with disgust, shaking his head slightly.

"Shisui," the youth interrupted quietly then, fixing his unwavering attention on his grumbling relative. "What do you know about the Will of Fire?"

The other Uchiha paused briefly, not expecting that question. He studied Itachi closely, and something flickered in Shisui's eyes then, a flash of melancholy and realization perhaps, gone as quickly as it had appeared, and the older male shook his head once again. "I can't explain," he told his cousin at last. "It varies for every Leaf nin, even though the origin of the ideal comes from the same source. You will have to find out what is your Will of Fire yourself, but I can give you a hint if you like."

The younger teen listened patiently.

"Ask yourself this; why do you protect Konoha? Beyond duty, beyond obligation, what is the reason that you choose to protect our village?"

Itachi remained silent, and the only reaction he revealed to Shisui's questions was the slightest narrowing of his eyes. His older relative was not surprised by the lack of answer; after all, it had taken himself years before he had arrived at his own conclusion, and combat genius that Itachi was, the boy was still painfully young, barely in his teens, in fact.

A mild sense of pity welled within him for this cousin of his, who was forced to grow up so much more quickly than his contemporaries.

"Look deep into yourself and think it through carefully, Itachi." Shisui remarked in a good natured manner. "Don't be frustrated by the lack of immediate answers—it is to be expected, since you are a robot in human disguise and require more time than others to understand such matters."

The older Uchiha smirked slightly at his own smartass remark—it was rather funny if he thought so himself—but judging by the usual blank look on his relative's stress-lined, deadpan features, Itachi surely didn't find it particularly amusing at all. Shisui sighed inwardly; the younger teen's lack of reaction would have come across as creepy and eerie to others, but he was so used to it that it didn't even faze him. The boy was born with an old soul, and it was hardly his fault that the circumstances of his life had made him into what he was right now.

Silence reigned once more as the both Uchiha returned their attention to the swiftly flowing waters of the Naka River. It was after a long pause that Shisui spoke again, this time serious once more, the light moment that he had attempted to foster earlier dissipating as quickly as it had arrived.

"Watch your back, Itachi," Shisui cautioned quietly, tilting his head up to stare at the skies, by now a deep, bloody orange from the setting sun. "There's a storm coming, and I'm afraid we will have no choice but to meet it."

* * *

"Sakura-chan, this is boring! Can we stop now, huh?" eight year old Uzumaki Naruto whined in a childish tone as he threw his pen rudely on the coffee table where he had been made to work on his terrible penmanship for the past half an hour or so. "We have been doing this _all day_!"

He was quite obviously exaggerating, and sitting on the floor beside him, contentedly working diligently on her own homework, his pink-haired friend put down her own writing utensil to frown at him.

"You haven't even done a full page," the young girl retorted sensibly. "Naruto-no-baka, you said you wanted to learn how to read and write!"

The young blonde scowled.

"Yeah, but this is sooooooo boring!" the boy drew out with frustration. "Can't we go do something else instead, huh?"

Sakura's reply was to raise a fist and rap her knuckles lightly against Naruto's head. He yelped indignantly. "Sakura-chan!"

"You promised that you would work hard!" the pink-haired girl frowned in a chastising manner. "You said you wanted to prove your sensei wrong and that you are really serious about being a ninja! Did you lie?"

It had been an unwelcome surprise for the young girl when she had realized that no one had taught Naruto the basics of reading and writing, which certainly explained why her friend was doing so poorly in school. The fact that he was always up to mischief did not help his studies any, and with her mother's tentative permission, Sakura had started to bring the playful and easily distracted blonde to her house in an effort to stuff some basic knowledge into his vacant head.

It had been at least a couple of weeks since the young girl had started trying to help her friend, but unfortunately, not much progress was being made. Naruto had the attention span of a flea and he really didn't like to sit still for long periods of time, and not surprisingly, it was a lot harder to teach the blonde than Sakura had originally anticipated.

Sometimes, the young Haruno wondered just how they got along so well; she was quiet and almost shy in class, downplaying her intelligence and quite content to spend the whole day studying and surrounded by books, whereas her loud, energetic friend was perpetually vibrating with barely pent up energy and always looking to embark on the next adventure that would no doubt bring the Konoha Military Police down on his head—again. As exasperating as his various antics were, it was also for that exact reason that Sakura knew Naruto was not stupid like some of the more unkind Academy instructors had implied he was. Far from it; he had been smart and cunning enough to plan and execute outrageously complex pranks without being caught in the act, so Sakura knew that he could easily learn how to read and write if he applied himself to the task.

The fact that Naruto was doing no such thing and appeared quite happy to slack off at every available opportunity both irritated and confused Sakura at the same time, and after an entire fortnight of putting up with his seemingly unappreciative whining, Sakura had quickly lost her temper with her blonde friend, wanting to know why he was acting so contrary to his true character.

Naruto flinched visibly at her fierce questions. "I'm not lying," the boy weakly defended himself at first before he quickly recovered and continued gamely, easily slipping on that stupidly goofy expression that always never failed to annoy people. "I'm gonna be the best ninja in this village one day; just you wait and see, ehehe. No stinking penmanship is gonna keep me from being a Hokage!"

To add credence to his words, he promptly gave her a smile that was so bright and his eyes were squinted close as a result, but Sakura just stared at him doubtfully.

"Naruto…" she drew out his name in a disapproving manner, placing her hands on her hips and looking exasperated. "You still need to learn how to read and write no matter what! Don't you want to get good grades? Don't you want to show everyone that you are not stupid like they think you are?"

Just like that, the blonde's wide grin quickly dimmed, and Sakura immediately felt bad for hurting her friend with her unthinking words. It was a sensitive topic for Naruto, the fact that the majority of the adults in Konoha always seemed to belittle his ambition or stare at him with such contempt, as if he was worse than the scum stuck on the soles of their shoes. Young as she was, Sakura did not miss those hostile looks that were being given to her friend whenever they were walking through the streets together. After all, those unfriendly stares were so obvious that it would be a challenge for her not to notice them.

Sakura never understood why her friend was so disliked by the villagers; Naruto was cheerful, staunchly loyal, and the best friend that anyone could ask for. He was boisterous and cheekily mischievous at times, but Sakura knew that the blonde was as harmless as a playful puppy and would gladly do just about anything to protect those who were precious to him. They were all children still; what on earth could he have done to deserve such unfair treatment from the villagers?

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan," Naruto apologized in an unusually quiet manner before she could offer her own apologies, and the young girl stared at him in surprise. What was he sorry for? He had done nothing wrong! "You are so smart and amazing and wonderful, Sakura-chan, it must be embarrassing for you to have a stupid friend like me."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, but he was not done yet. Eyes lowered and kept firmly locked onto the table surface, Naruto continued morosely, slumping in defeat as all the fake bravado and cheerfulness that he had donned earlier quickly slipped away, leaving behind an oddly hurt and insecure boy whom Sakura had not seen in a long time. "I know it must be hard for you to teach someone dumb like me, but you still do it because you are so nice and kind hearted, but it's okay, you don't have to- _ouch_!"

The pink-haired girl had quickly reached over to drop her fist hard on the top of the blonde's head before he could spout anymore untruths. Naruto's hand quickly shot up to rub at the sore spot on his abused crown even as his surprised sapphire blue eyes flew up to meet his precious friend's fierce gaze. The eight year old boy looked stunned by the quiet anger he saw in her bright green eyes.

"You are _not_ dumb, Naruto!" Sakura emphasized with all the authority that she could muster. "Whoever said that is lying, and I'm not embarrassed to be your friend!"

Poor Naruto appeared somewhat taken aback by the utter vehemence that he had detected in the other child's usually sweet-natured tone. "And I didn't help you because I'm being nice!" Sakura declared, shaking her fist at a slightly cowering Naruto just to show him how unpleasant she could be, not that he couldn't tell already thanks to the rapidly developing goose egg on his head from her generous lesson earlier. "I want to help you because you are my friend, and I don't like it as well when those sensei in school don't teach you properly!"

Naruto froze at the young girl's angry admission.

The young blonde had always tried his best to downplay the neglect and uncaring attitudes of the Academy's sensei whenever they dealt with him, feigning disinterest in his studies to cover up the true reason for his atrocious grades and playing all sorts of embarrassing and highly disruptive pranks in order to try to rid himself of the ever present hurt and resentment when the teachers' painfully neutral gazes would just glance past him as if he was nonexistent and made of air, ignoring his presence even as they warmly nurtured and helpfully catered to the questions and needs of his fellow classmates.

The fact that his dear Sakura-chan had still noticed his silent suffering despite his best efforts to show her otherwise made the boy feel strangely exposed and vulnerable. Even though they had known each other and played together for nearly three years already, even though he knew deep in his heart that Sakura-chan would never forsake him like the rest of the village, hating him with such anger when he had never done anything to them, a part of him still feared rejection from her, his most important, very first friend. She was such an amazing person, the one who had given him a chance by befriending him, bringing a precious ray of light into his dark existence and had injected so much happiness into his lonely life. He was hardly worthy of her friendship, a dirt poor, no name gutter rat with no connections and no parents. For all he knew, his mother could have been a passed out prostitute and his father a useless drug junkie—god knew that the rest of the village had certainly thought so.

As such, the boy had been overjoyed and at the same time terribly anxious when the pink-haired girl had offered to teach him how to read and write once she realized that he didn't know how to, overjoyed because she cared, and terrified because she might decide that he was really stupid and not worthy to be her friend, let alone be helped by her. After all, none of the Academy sensei had bothered to teach him properly, even when he had tried his hardest in the beginning, hoping against hope that things would be different in the Academy, and that he would find someone who would accept him, somewhere where he could _belong. _

_If he tried hard enough, someone would notice, right?_

But that had not been the case. He was still ignored and neglected, his instructors belittling all his efforts to learn, his classmates jeering at and taunting him mercilessly once they knew that they could get away with it from the uncaring teachers, who deliberately turned their gaze away as the students ganged up on the younger child, even when bright sapphire eyes had looked to them silently for help. There was only so much negativity and discouragement a five year old could take, and he had tried his best, he really did, struggling to teach himself when no one would, telling himself to be brave, to suck it up because there was no one around to tell him that tomorrow would be a better day, and in the end, it was just so much easier to give up hope than to keep deluding himself.

Even at a very young age, little Naruto had known better than to lie to himself.

If even all the sensei, whose jobs were to teach every student in the Academy no matter their aptitude, refused to teach him, didn't that mean that he was just not worth their efforts?

And Naruto didn't want his Sakura-chan to waste her time on him, only for her to find out in the end what all his teachers had already known, that he was just nothing. Worthless.

The little blonde knew that he would rather die than to have one of his very few important people think that way of him, look at him with those cold, unfeeling eyes that he could never escape from no matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, not even in his sleep.

So he had acted up deliberately, not taking her lessons seriously when all he wanted was to do his best and not disappoint her expectations, whining and complaining and trying his hardest to be as annoying as possible just so that Sakura-chan would give up on helping him even when he hoped in his most secret heart that she would not, and to his amazement, _she didn't_.

The young kunoichi-in-training scowled slightly at her best friend. "You are going to learn how to read and write no matter how you much dislike it, Naruto! I won't let you pretend to be stupid anymore! I know that you are smart, just that nobody ever taught you properly before. Well, I'm going to teach you, and you are going to learn, alright?" It was almost comical how the eight year old girl was so fiercely lecturing her counterpart, but Naruto didn't seem to care about that, if the growing look of realization—and subsequent gratefulness—on his emotional features were of any indication.

Sakura-chan _believed_ in him. She thought that he was smart, and she really, _really_ wanted to help him.

There and then, just for her simple acknowledgement—_priceless beyond any amount of gold and jewels in the world_—eight year old Naruto knew that he would forevermore be willing to walk on fire and even throw himself in harm's way for his best friend.

His eyes started to water pitifully, much to the pink-haired girl's look of dismay, and just like that first time they met, she promptly comforted him by ruffling his unruly blonde hair like he was a puppy.

"Sheesh, Naruto, don't cry!"

"I'm not crying," the young boy protested weakly, and then he quickly swiped at his eyes to remove the damning evidence. The affection-starved blonde didn't pull away from Sakura's touch though, instead leaning into it even though he tried his best not to be too obvious, and the young girl just shook her head a little and continued to pet his head affectionately.

Naruto gave his best friend in the world—for in his humble opinion, there was no more awesome companion than his Sakura-chan—a small, watery smile, one that was completely genuine and nothing like that artificial grin that he had tried to fool her with earlier.

"I'm happy, see?" he pointed out to her almost shyly. "I'm really happy."

Sakura could not help but beam at Naruto. He was strangely adorable when he looked uncertain of himself. Of course, he'd recover from his temporary lapse quickly enough and become loud, energetic and his usual lovable and boisterous self again, but for now, Sakura was glad that she could bring some happiness to the blonde. Even though Naruto seldom showed it, there was a familiar light of loneliness that lurked in his eyes sometimes, and Sakura was pleased that she could chase that away for her dear friend, even if just momentarily.

"Let's get back to work then! There's still revision and homework to do, and they are not going to complete themselves, Naruto!"

This time around, the bright eyed blonde nodded his head fervently with so much enthusiasm that he briefly resembled a bobble head figurine. Young Sakura had to bite back a small giggle at his earnest, enthusiastic response. Was this how it felt like to have a sibling?

"Hai, Sakura-chan!"

* * *

He came across the golden-haired fox child quite entirely by accident.

At the orders of his superior, he had been wandering aimlessly in the village trying to seek the answer that he so desperately needed. The endeavor was not going well, however; it seemed that no matter how hard he tried to analyze the question that the _shousui_ had posed to him, replaying the conversation over and over in his head, he still could not figure out the lesson that his Commander was attempting to impart to him. Even Shisui had known the answer, and as much as his older cousin had assured him that he would understand one day, Itachi simply did not have the luxury of time to do that. He needed to understand and he needed to do it quickly.

It was easier said than done—the young ANBU Captain had not slept for two days already and his appetite had also deserted him upon his discovery of his clan's secrets. Mounting pressure and the unspoken race against Time pressed urgently upon him—it was already evening, and come tomorrow morning, he would have to report his findings and final decision to his Commander. Just thinking of said decisions never failed to cause the Uchiha heir more distress; his pale, strained features tightening further even as he fought hard within himself not to succumb to the rising panic and despair.

Eventually, he would have no choice but to choose. He had spent literally the entire day on a wild goose chase, with nothing substantial to yield for all his efforts. He could not put off the inevitable any longer—he could not find any physical manifestation of the Will of Fire within the village at all and failure and disappointment tore at him.

_Useless. Weak. Pathetic._

The harsh self rebuke made him flinch; he had known what he had to do from the very beginning, but still he had hoped against hope that there was another alternative like his Shousui had implied. He didn't want to leave Konoha, leave the very homeland that he loved, to turn his back on his village and fellow Leaf nin just to keep an eye on Uchiha Madara, but he had to do it. It was his duty to protect Konoha, but—he would have to leave behind his family, his brother, _Sakura_…give up everything for those he had dedicated himself to guarding and protecting.

His heart ached.

He didn't want to go, even though he understood the grim necessity of what had to be done, his coldly logical rationale refusing to allow him to pretend otherwise. He didn't want to go at all, and somewhere deep in the recesses of his soul, the terrified little boy that he thought no longer existed was weeping silently in anguish. _Don't make me leave. Please…I don't want to leave._

He really was a coward. A coward who was just stalling for time even when he knew that nothing could be changed, desperately holding out for the hope that another solution would surface if he waited long enough, that he wouldn't have to be forced to sacrifice all he held dear, that someone would liberate him from this living nightmare he was hopelessly entrapped in.

But who could save him?

No one.

_Sacrifice yourself. For the good of Konoha and your clan. This is the best way. _

The pounding behind his eyes had seemed to increase in intensity then, contributing to the utter misery he was steeped in. Itachi stopped suddenly in the middle of the street and closed his eyes, feeling unbearably fatigued in that very instant. His young shoulders, still slender and undeveloped from childhood and fledgling adolescence, struggled to remain upright under the weight of his crushing duties and responsibilities. He felt so tired, and it was all he could do not to let his exhaustion, both mental and physical, show. The urge to let himself go, to wilt with defeat and let his shoulders droop with the utter despair he felt was overwhelming, but no; he was the Uchiha clan heir and Uchiha clan heirs were not allowed to hunch their shoulders anywhere, let alone in public. He had to stand tall and proud no matter the situation, in a manner befitting his status and that of his noble clan. He was most definitely not allowed to cry no matter how much he felt like it, and could only suffer quietly in silence.

Blankly, he wondered if anyone would cry for him when he was gone. Probably no one; who would cry for a traitor?

However, his thoughts responded with a contradictory answer almost as soon as he drew his conclusion. The image of a kind, gentle pink-haired little girl surfaced in his mind, trust and innocent affection shining in her large green eyes and a bright, welcoming smile on her face. For some reason that he did not fully comprehend, that compassionate child had cried for him when he had left for ANBU, she had cried for him when he was severely injured—the only person to shed tears on his behalf when he himself could not do so, the liquid sadness unconditional and had served to fulfill no hidden agendas whatsoever. He had been deeply affected by her tears, ashamed and, at the same time, guiltily joyous that someone had cared enough to weep for him.

Yes, his Sakura would definitely cry for him if he left—the young girl was a bit of a crybaby still—but the thought of causing her upset again—it seemed that he was always making her cry—left him feeling even more agitated and distressed.

Itachi was at his wit's end. He didn't know what else to do, who else to turn to.

_Help_, the boy thought bleakly. _Somebody help_.

It was by chance and the grace of providence, then, that the Uchiha heir would run into the unwavering, indomitable Uzumaki Naruto in his time of hesitation and self doubt.

"Ya stinkin' bastards! Those don't belong ta you! Gimme back!" An angry, high pitched, childish tone cried out with righteous fury, and the familiar voice had quickly forced Itachi to return his attention to his surroundings. A glance a small ways into the near deserted side street across from his position quickly yielded the sight of Konoha's resident pariah Jinchuuriki in a rising altercation with what looked like three boys who were around Itachi's age.

Uzumaki Naruto was in trouble—again.

Granted, the little eight year old used to try to avoid getting into trouble in the past but quickly gave up since it still always found him no matter what he did. He, of course, did not know that the reason for most of the problems caused to him was due to a certain nine-tailed squatter stuck behind his belly button, and therefore never really understood why he was always being picked on. That didn't stop him from climbing back onto his feet every time he was shoved to the ground, though. Even at a tender age, Naruto had already known better than to just meekly submit to his tormentors and admit defeat. To do so would be akin to giving up, and for young Naruto, who on some of his worst days had nothing but his infallible grit and sheer stubborn will to fall back upon, to express an inclination to quit, even if just to himself, would have meant a certain irretrievable loss of his spirit—or worse.

Right now, those three bullies were playing a malicious game of keep away with the small, undernourished blonde child. Circling the angry but hapless young boy, the jeering, laughing trio passed around a ratty, dirty orange Gama-shaped kid's bag that clearly did not belong to them, taunting and sneering at the futile, increasingly frustrated efforts of the eight year old. They had him caged between them like a helpless monkey as they waved his possession before him like a tempting bait, only to jerk the small bag away whenever the child tried to reach for it, laughing uproariously the entire while, like it was the most amusing game that they had played.

Even though he knew that they were not going to give his things back without a fight, a furious, red faced Naruto still leapt at his bag determinedly, scrabbling for the item and going to the point of physically trying to climb up the teen who had his Gama schoolbag before being shoved off to fall jarringly onto the ground. Naruto did not give up, though. In the blink of an eye, the mulish blonde was back on his feet again and quickly resumed heckling the one who held his possession with the tenacity of a bulldog.

"It's not yours! Give. It. Back!"

The ringleader of the three scowled viciously at the blonde, holding the bag out of the child's reach with one hand even as he swatted the small boy aside like he was nothing but an inconsequential fly. "Don't touch me with your filthy hands, Fox Brat!" he snarled, and just for good measure, clocked the blonde child hard across the face with a hammy fist. The young boy yelped in pain and had to briefly abandon his efforts to retrieve his belongings as a burst of white stars exploded behind his eyes, and his cheek throbbed from the abuse. Naruto shook his head slightly, quickly shrugging off the pain in a way that implied he was used to such treatment and doggedly returned to his original goal of retrieving his bag.

Unfortunately, the older boys had taken advantage of his momentary lapse to open his bag and start pulling out the items stored in it. The cheap little pencil box that contained a pitiful assortment of a pencil, a bit of an eraser and an old ruler was promptly taken out and passed around, the stationery scattered and deliberately thrown haphazardly all over the ground. Naruto yelled and quickly bent down to pick up his discarded belongings, but the teens who were having such a great time tormenting him merely kicked the items between them with malicious glee, enjoying the way the young boy was scurrying after his things like a frantic little rat.

Naruto had barely managed to snatch his pencil box back and return the items that belonged in it to their rightful places when they took out his homework. The homework that he had painstakingly slaved over for half a day, that Sakura-chan had patiently helped him with, that he was so proud of. The little blonde watched with dismay as those hands that held the fruits of his labor clenched and deliberately crumpled the papers that he had worked so hard on.

"Che. Just a few measly pieces of trash in that eyesore of a bag," the bully scoffed cruelly as he carelessly tossed the frog-themed pack over his shoulders. "And here I thought that there might be something good in there. Useless." He continued to crush the papers in his possession despite its owner's shouts of distressed anger, clearly relishing in the youngster's impotent fury. His two accomplices kept the agitated boy away from him with forceful shoves and spiteful jeers, disorienting the child even as they smacked him around gleefully.

"Don't touch my homework! Give it back to me!" Naruto insisted with childish determination, his small, immature face bright red from his emotions and physical exertions. He was ignored, predictably.

"Heh. Monsters don't need homework! Betcha just copied it off somewhere!"

"Yeah, and what can you do about it, anyway, filthy little fox? You can't touch us!"

"Let him try. Then we will just go to the Military Police and let them handle him. It will be hilarious!"

Naruto paused at the threat. His little fists clenched and he looked momentarily conflicted. The young boy had had his share of run ins with the local authorities, and unfortunately, none of those experiences had been particularly pleasant. But his hesitation was gone as quickly as it came; those seemingly meager pieces of paper meant the world to him, and he would gladly suffer any consequences to get them back. The boy doubled his efforts to retrieve his homework, more determined than before, growling and baring his teeth, harshly slapping away the hands that tried to deter him, much to the increasing outrage of his tormentors. They reacted to his resistance with force, smacking the impudent child back down every time he pushed obstinately against them, showing him his place even as the stupid child failed to acknowledge or simply chose not accept it, and even though poor Naruto was quickly accumulating an assortment of bumps and bruises on his head and face as a result of his defiance, he simply refused to give up.

"Give my things back to me!" the young Jinchuuriki demanded in a slightly garbled tone, his right cheek swelling up from a particularly brutal altercation with the older boys. He did not attempt to attack the teens despite their harsh treatment of him, but merely continued to forge forward with single minded resolve to retrieve his homework. Very soon, even the bullies who took such delight in tormenting the resident Nine Tails' vessel no longer found it amusing to do so—no matter how much how hard they pushed him down to the ground, he just kept coming right back up at them, like an unstoppable juggernaut. There was no crying, no begging, no tantrums—no fear—from the golden-haired, fox-faced young boy, unlike the other children whom they had came across. It went to the point where the ringleader was considering ending this game once and for all by tearing up the pieces of paper in his grasp into tiny shreds, thereby ending the brat's insolent behavior, when their silent observer finally deign to make his presence known to them.

"What is going on here?" The voice, though genteelly quiet and deliberately neutral, held the unmistakable undertone of a hard command.

The three bullies paused at the unexpected interruption. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki had always been a generally free-for-all target since nobody cared enough about the kid to give a damn whether if he was being pushed around or not. The fact that this time was a rare exception had clearly surprised the teens, and they quickly turned to look at the intruder.

The dark-haired Uchiha who stood calmly behind them was clearly around their age, perhaps even younger because he appeared physically shorter, though not by much, and was also more slender than they were built, adolescence and puberty clearly not having taken over yet. However, despite their obvious seniority in terms of age, there was something in the newcomer's eyes—_experience, stress, responsibility_—that made him appear much older than they were, and they hesitated to pull rank and the strength of numbers against him.

Besides, they were but mere civilians, and the hitai-ite on the brittle looking male was an unspoken warning in itself. Ninja. Not civilian. The teen might be younger than them and might look as if a good gust of wind would easily bowl him over, but looks could be deceptive, and ninjas even more so. The trio of troublemakers quickly found themselves quite intimidated by the quiet, impassive air of authority that surrounded the adolescent shinobi, the unspoken hint of power that for now laid dormant within the boy.

And his dead eyes, harsh, dark onyx that stared at them in a cold, detached manner…they were quickly spooked.

"We aren't doing anything, nin-san," the gang leader mumbled, at the same time discreetly throwing the crumpled up homework at the Kyuubi vessel. The balled up lump of papers bounced off Naruto's forehead but he quickly caught them before they could fall to the ground. The blonde child clearly recognized the Uchiha heir but knew better than to openly acknowledge the raven-haired boy before his tormentors. Doing so would not have benefitted either himself or Itachi-nii, and might get the latter in trouble since he was part of the Uchiha family who ran the Military Police, and Naruto knew that people who befriended himself tended to get in trouble for no reason whatsoever when the villagers learned of their connection to him, and therefore Naruto kept quiet, kept his head low, and pretended not to know who Itachi was.

Even Sakura-chan he had not allowed to appear close to him when they were around strangers, keeping the pink-haired girl at a careful distance that would let others believe that she was nothing more than a schoolmate unfortunate enough to be walking along the same street as himself, and it was the same for Sasuke-teme as well, though it was expectedly a lot easier to feign dislike towards the snotty younger Uchiha, even if they were really (reluctantly) friends. Somewhat.

Naruto waited in an uncharacteristically meek manner as Itachi-nii dealt with those three bastards who had been making his otherwise wonderful day completely unbearable. The older raven-haired boy had always appeared quiet and calm in demeanor when he was around Sakura-chan, Sasuke-teme and himself, so it completely surprised the young Jinchuuriki to see the Uchiha heir berate the trio of unholy terrors in an unexpectedly sharp, coldly imperious manner. The Uchiha clan elders would have swelled with pride if they knew that their passive heir was capable of such acerbic retorts, but then again, they'd probably not be pleased at all once they found out that Itachi had only done so in the defense of the Kyuubi Vessel.

It took but a few intimidating rebukes and a severe warning never to be caught causing trouble in this district again to send the mortified, slightly older teens fleeing with their tails tucked between their legs, and Itachi watched them run off until they were no longer in sight. Then, he turned to the golden-haired child, and Naruto looked embarrassed and painfully shy as he seemed to pull back into himself, staring at the stoic, older Uchiha with something akin to awe and hero worship in his young eyes. With the exception of Hokage jii-jii, no one had ever helped him out like this before.

"Ah, thanks, Itachi-nii," the boy expressed his gratitude awkwardly before his carefully developed persona took over and he gave the teen one of his patented, goofy grin, complete with squinted eyes and mouth stretched wide with an overly exaggerated expression of happiness that did nothing but aggravate his bruised cheek. "I coulda handled it myself, though. Next time, you don't need to bother, kay?"

The stupidly clownish façade that Naruto had slipped on merely made Itachi stiffen slightly with an increased agitation. Those sharp onyx eyes quickly and accurately assessed the true state of the emotionally abused, affection-starved young boy, and once again, something in him whispered angrily that this child had definitely not deserved what he had gotten in life so far, that out of all of them, he had been the one who was the most shortchanged and wronged for something that was not his fault.

By rights, the Uchiha clan was at least honor bound to ensure the wellbeing of this boy, but like so many things that his clan had failed to do, they had ignored and feigned ignorance, because to do otherwise would be to reveal to the world their shame. In order to protect the reputation of the Uchiha, it was the best to pretend that the situation that had resulted in the sealing of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki had not been caused by their bloodline's doujutsu.

And so, a little blonde boy would suffer in silence, cheated of his family's protection, the surname of his father and his near royal birthright, hated and despised for something that he was innocent of committing, unknowingly carrying the sins of the Uchiha clan on his small shoulders.

The guilt that welled in Itachi threatened to spill over and strangle him with remorse, but the young ANBU Captain was too well trained to openly show his emotions like that.

"It is of little consequence to me. You should pick up your bag, Naruto-kun," he informed the young boy instead, and the child hurriedly obeyed him, returning his pencil box into the confines of the dirty, frog shaped schoolbag and then carefully straightening out the crumpled homework, sighing with relief when he saw that the papers were not torn like he had half expected them to be.

"Thank the gods!" the boy praised as he gently tucked his precious homework back into the bag as well. "They didn't manage to destroy it!"

Itachi watched as Naruto handled the few pieces of badly wrinkled paper with absolute care. "Is your homework so important that you are willing to risk your wellbeing to protect it?" the teen asked at last.

The little blonde scrunched up his whiskered face, looking momentarily confused as he struggled to figure out what Itachi-nii was trying to say. Then, once the light bulb over his head blinked on, he nodded vigorously. "Yeah, it's important to me!" Naruto declared, utter conviction in his childish voice even as he shrugged the bag straps over his shoulders and started to walk, Itachi simply falling in place beside him. "Me and Sakura-chan worked on it all day today! It'd be bad if those morons wasted our efforts; Sakura-chan will be so disappointed—she worked very hard to teach me!"

The little Jinchuuriki sounded so happy to be cared for that he practically glowed with it. Then, his joy dimmed and he prodded gingerly at his bruised cheek and slightly swelling eye, wincing disgruntledly as he did so. "Don't tell Sakura-chan what happened here, she's gonna worry."

So it wasn't the homework itself that had Naruto fighting so fiercely and determinedly to preserve it, but it was for the feelings of his friend that the little boy could not bear to let those bullies destroy what was so precious to him. Itachi understood the admirable sentiment, and he nodded his promise to the young boy.

The young village pariah looked briefly grateful to his older brother figure, and then he growled as he glared back down the street which his three tormentors had fled off to. "Those bastards! I'm gonna prank them real good next time I see them!" Naruto grumbled, shaking his little fist angrily in that direction. "They are going to regret doing this to me when I become Hokage! I will make all of them clean latrines for the rest of their lives!"

The boy's bold ambition to become the next leader of the village was not unknown to Itachi—or most of Konoha for that matter, much to their derision and contempt. Naruto-kun had certainly shouted it often enough to the world for the Uchiha heir to understand how seriously the child took his aspiration. The villagers often disparaged and belittled the Kyuubi Vessel for his huge dream, but like some of the higher ranked nin who were aware of the child's true heritage and bloodline, Itachi knew better than to do so. After all, the little blonde had the blood of Konoha's ruling royalty coursing through his veins from both of his parents, and even better still, he also had the immense power to back it up in the form of the greatest bijuu to ever walk the Earth—the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

The child was highly spirited and more than a bit brash and hotheaded, but could hardly be blamed for it because there was no one to take him in hand or teach him otherwise. However, judging by what Itachi had seen earlier, it was obvious that Naruto-kun's heart was in the right place, and the way the young blonde never wavered from his purpose no matter how he was always pushed down struck a deep chord within Itachi. Unlike himself, it was clear that this boy would never hesitate to protect what was important to him, would never falter as long as his precious people needed him.

If Naruto-kun continued to grow as he was, never straying from his path, then perhaps the boy's dream to become Hokage wouldn't be as farfetched a notion as most would believe.

There and then, Itachi quickly became conscious of the fact that he had inadvertently stumbled onto something very important, as he stared at the blonde child with previously blank onyx eyes that were slowly flickering to life with surprised understanding—and realization.

_Will of Fire. _

The physical manifestation of the Will of Fire…he was looking at it…?

Naruto-kun…?

No. Not just Naruto-kun. Sasuke. Sakura. Their classmates. Their friends. They all had the potential…

Itachi's surprise quickly faded as his mind swiftly reapplied itself to understanding the lesson that Shousui-sama had tried to teach him. The physical manifestation of the Will of Fire was its people, or more specifically, its children, the very lifeblood and hope of every village. It…made sense. Perfect sense. The greatest potential to surpass the current generation could only lie in the next generation...and only in that line of continuous progression, would the Will of Fire burn stronger and stronger. They were all connected…the wellbeing of Konoha, the Will of Fire, the children of the future…

_That_ was what they were protecting.

The ideal of Konoha was _alive_. It lived and breathed within the people of the village, and as long as the people continued to survive and thrive, _Konoha would never die._

More than just a piece of rich land, more than just a prosperous village, the fate of Konoha laid ultimately with its children, and as long as the next generation never gave up and never faltered, Konoha would never fall.

The powerful realization both awed and shook Itachi at the same time. He _understood_ what his Commander meant now, even if he was barely scratching at the surface and would need a bit more time to fully grasp the entire complexity of the lesson that Shousui-sama had wanted him to learn. Itachi's gaze sharpened on Naruto once more, studying the young boy with new eyes, observing the child with the new perception granted to him.

If properly raised and trained, if protected and given the chance to grow, surely this boy would become something to behold one day. _As would Sasuke. As would Sakura. _The children of the future who would one day serve and protect Konoha just as the village had always sheltered and nurtured them—but were as of now still not strong enough to do so, and therefore had to be protected at all costs.

This must be what Shousui-sama had meant.

Choose.

_Protect the future of the village, or honor the past glories of your clan. _

Two different choices. Two entirely different paths to walk.

"Naruto-kun," Itachi spoke quietly then, as the two continued to walk down the street. "Why do you want to be Hokage?"

The scruffy looking little blonde all but glowed at the mention of one of his most favorite topic, and he was more than happy to discuss it with Itachi-nii. "Because when I become Hokage, everyone will respect me! I will be the strongest, most kickass ninja in the village! No one will dare bully me again! Everyone will call me Hokage-sama, and my face will be carved onto the Hokage Monument! Whoo! That'd be awesome! And then we will have a ramen festival every week-"

Itachi was not entirely surprised to learn that Naruto's attention span was all over the place, and that his reasons for wanting to be the leader of the village was mostly self-satisfying and juvenile, which was to be expected since the boy was only a young child still, but it was disappointing to hear all the same. Naruto continued to ramble on happily.

"-and then there will be less fighting in the world because ramen is that awesome and no one will be hungry ever again and everyone will be happy-"

"Naruto-kun," the Uchiha heir interrupted before the excitable young boy could get too ahead of himself. The exhausted, sleep-deprived raven-haired teen was starting to develop a pressing migraine from the child's loud, enthusiastic proclamations, but thankfully enough, the younger boy paused in his outburst to pay attention to him once more. Itachi wasted no time directing their conversation back to its original topic. "A Hokage must protect everyone in his village, even people who do not like him. People like those three boys earlier, who bullied you. Are you willing to do so?"

At that, Naruto paused. The boisterous, carefree smile on that tanned, whiskered face slipped slightly, and for a startling moment, the young blonde's blue eyes revealed more maturity for his years than Itachi had ever thought possible, a stark reminder that this boy, for all his apparent youth and childishness, had experienced and lived a much harder life than others his age. The child who saw too much hid his knowledge of the harsh, unforgiving world well behind his mask of obtuseness and deliberately annoying tendencies, but now that Itachi had inadvertently discovered the truth, the teen would never again make the mistaken assumption that Naruto was just a young naïve boy who did not know what it was like to suffer.

"Yeah, I guess I'd have ta protect them too," the young golden-haired child replied at last. "Hokage jii-jii told me the same thing too, but you know what?"

Itachi glanced at the determined features of the boy from the corner of his eye, patiently waiting for the youngster to continue.

"It means I will also get to protect my precious people too!" Naruto declared passionately, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm and his little chest puffing out with pride. Despite his bruised and ruffled appearance, there was such conviction in his young voice that even the usually impassive Uchiha heir could not help but be affected by the little blonde's strong belief in the path that he was determined to walk. Naruto's natural resilience and mental fortitude were frankly amazing to Itachi; despite all the unwarranted abuse that this village had heaped on this child, he still yearned to protect it, and the fierce, unquenchable flame that burned in the eight year old gave the bleak, despondent, older boy a slowly flowering sense of optimism.

_Perhaps…if he took a gamble…and put his faith in this boy…_

"Itachi-nii!" Naruto's address quickly brought Itachi's attention back to the former. "You get to help too! You are so badass and strong, and you and your ANBU will punish our enemies with a hyah! And a pew pew, and then a bad-nukenin-be-gone-no-jutsu and whoosh, then those nin will go 'Aaaiiieeeeee! Have mercy!' and-" The whiskered blonde was gesturing madly as he made those sound effects, every bit an excitable child, a wide grin on his face even as he openly displayed his faith in the older boy's abilities. Itachi merely studied the young Jinchuuriki as he continued to express himself with such abandon and a complete lack of restraint that it was almost envying to watch.

"-then I 'spose stuck-up Sasuke will become the leader of the Military Police, and Sakura-chan can help as well!" Naruto beamed at the Uchiha heir. "And Itachi-nii, you will definitely be the head ANBU, and together, _together_, we will all protect Konoha," the little blonde breathed joyously, his blue eyes glowing, dreaming of his lifelong ambition.

Itachi froze, shock bleeding into previously blank eyes.

_Together, we will all protect Konoha. _

Was it really that simple? Was the answer to his problem truly that simple?

As if a previously unmovable obstacle in his mind had been miraculously dissolved by the deceptively simple revelation that Naruto-kun had just revealed to him, the initially limited options available to him suddenly seemed to multiply right before his eyes, showing him new alternatives, numerous possibilities, and the young ANBU Captain felt his breath catch soundlessly in his throat with painful hope.

Maybe…_maybe_, he didn't need to leave Konoha after all.

This must be what Shousui-sama had been trying to make him see. It was a difficult concept for him to follow; that he did not always have to do everything by himself, that he could actually depend on others, and together, they could safeguard the safety of the village so much better than he could alone. After all, Konoha was not just a piece of land, Konoha was made of people, and people needed to form close bonds in order to be strong.

It made sense, and it felt bitterly ironic to Itachi at the same time that it was one Uzumaki Naruto who had helped him see the light. In the end, he was being helped by this boy whom his clan had wronged so terribly, and therein laid his shame, and at the same time, he was utterly humbled by this experience as well.

Here was a boy who, even though growing up wild and lacking any familial guidance whatsoever to teach him what was the right thing to do, was still managing to find his own way just fine, unwavering and unhesitating even when he was effectively running blind the entire while—despite lacking knowledge of his family, completely oblivious to the legacy of his regal, self-sacrificing parents, kept in the dark regarding his malevolently powerful prisoner. On the other hand was Itachi's illustrious and proud clan, who, even with the strict tradition and generations of high nobility, had still managed to stray from the path of honor and righteousness because of hungry ambition and an insatiable lust for power. Just thinking of the situation frustrated Itachi to no end even though he tried not to show it; it was quickly becoming clear to him that the status and prestige of his clan meant little—what was the point of having the entire world think so highly of your family when your conscience was clouded by the knowledge that it was all a lie?

His clan was weak, Itachi realized suddenly, bleakly. Weak in the heart, perhaps even weak in the mind as well. His fellow members were so easily swayed by promises of power and glory, and even though they were a great clan of fierce warriors and bloodline wielders, it was obvious that they lacked the suitable temperament and characteristics to properly lead and inspire greatness in nin other than their fellow kin. Even at the young age of thirteen, Itachi already understood what most of the elders of his clan didn't; _the Uchiha would not thrive by leading, but by serving_.

And what better way to start than to have their heir throw his full weight and support behind the legacy of their sainted leader, the Fourth Hokage?

The young Uchiha was aware that he was taking a wild gamble, a blind leap of faith, risking the future of his clan by choosing to tie their fates to that of a wildcard like young Uzumaki, but frankly, there were much worse—infinitely deadly—fates that could befall his clan than his decision to select Konoha's pariah Jinchuuriki to become the champion of the Uchiha. It was not often that a ninja clan would invoke a sacred vow of stewardship to another family unless forced to do so or defeated in battle, and forming such a bond was completely unheard of amongst the great clans like the Uchiha, but Itachi knew that it had to be done.

Even young as he was right now, it was apparent that Uzumaki Naruto was _potential incarnate_, and his Will of Fire burned brighter than any other being the Uchiha heir had ever seen. As such, it was Itachi's most desperate hope that as long as the fates of his clan remained deeply intertwined with the descendents of the Uzumaki bloodline, then perhaps they would never again be tempted to pick the wrong path, to continue to self-destruct as they were doing right now.

Itachi stopped walking in favor of fixing his full attention on the young fox child. "Naruto-kun," he called out calmly even as his mind raced with all sorts of possibilities. "Are you really serious about your goal to be Hokage?"

The little blonde stopped as well, turning his head to regard the older boy, looking at the raven-haired Uchiha in a quick, scrutinizing manner, as if attempting to ascertain for himself if the latter was genuinely asking out of curiosity or was just trying to mock his ambition like so many others had done in the past. Itachi's blank stare must have been encouraging, for Naruto gave him a rare, genuine smile and nodded fervently.

"Yeah! I definitely wanna be Hokage when I grow up!" the child declared unfalteringly, determined as ever to reach for his dream, a dream that was at the moment about as reachable as the moon for him, but still had not deterred him at all.

His companion studied him silently, at the same time briefly pondering upon the sense behind his admittedly hasty decision of aiding the Kyuubi Vessel. Looking at Naruto and assessing his high spirits and admirable grit and fortitude, Itachi's heart said yes, the boy had potential, even though the logical part of him whispered that the scruffy, underfed child hardly looked like a promising candidate for Hokage-hood at all. For once, the young Uchiha decided to ignore his highly lauded intellect and listen to his instincts instead.

"The path that you have chosen won't be an easy one to walk," Itachi cautioned Naruto at last. "You will need to work hard for what you want. There will be no shortcuts, and you will have to sacrifice more than you are willing to; bleed and cry to get to where you want to be. Are you really ready to do all that and more?"

Once again, there was no hesitation in the young boy as he eagerly bobbed his head up and down in agreement. "I will do anything, dattebayo!" Naruto affirmed steadily. It was obvious that the young boy did not understand the full impact of his promise yet, but his zeal and enthusiasm could not be faked.

Itachi nodded slowly at last.

"Very well, if you are truly serious, then I will do my best to help you fulfill your dream," the young ANBU Captain replied steadily, much to the shock of the young boy.

Naruto's eyes grew so large that those bright sapphire orbs looked in danger of falling out of his head. "Y-you- d-do you really m-mean that?" the little blonde stammered in disbelief.

Itachi's answer was a small, simple incline of his head. In response, the shaken, deeply affected look on Naruto's face spoke volumes. No one had believed in him quite like this before, to the extent of wanting to help him achieve his dream, to want to see him succeed. Uchiha Itachi might not know it yet, but the events that he had started this day had ensured for himself and his clan a staunch and loyal defender for life in the name of one Uzumaki Naruto.

"I…I-Itachi-nii-sama," the little blonde stuttered with uncharacteristic formality and respect, a torrent of naked emotions flooding his whiskered features. The stark, openly emotional display was downright painful to watch, especially since the child really deserved much better than he had gotten in his lot of life, and that even though Itachi's clan had wronged the boy terribly, they would also now be depending on him for salvation.

Itachi knew immediately then that he had done the right thing. Betting the future of his noble house on this boy was the least he could do after what they owed to Naruto. Even in the event that Naruto failed, it would still be rightful punishment for the Uchiha to fall with the boy, but Itachi would never allow that to come to pass. More important than the pride and honor of his clan, the children of the future were needed to ensure the protection and safety of Konoha—so that people like Uchiha Madara would never be able to fulfill his goal of destroying the village. There was more than one way to protect his beloved village, Itachi was beginning to see now, and even as a veritable flood of ideas and plans inundated his tired, sleep deprived mind, the teen had never felt so hopeful and energized—exhilarated—than he had at the moment.

Itachi gently interrupted the young boy before anything more could be said.

"If you prove yourself worthy," the ANBU Captain promised quietly, firmly, to the stunned, awestruck child. "One day, the entire Uchiha clan will stand behind you and yours, Naruto-kun. This I swear."

It would be the first thing he did the moment he became clan head, Itachi silently promised himself. This would be his vision of the future, the goal that he would set himself to completing; one day, the new Uchiha clan would soar high above the old one, shedding its tarnished, crippled image like a phoenix rising from the ashes, fulfilling its responsibilities like it should have from the very beginning, dedicatedly watching over and protecting Konoha and its Hokage, ensuring that the Will of Fire would never extinguish in their precious homeland.

Naruto nodded his head fervently, his eyes suspiciously wet even as he willed himself not to breakdown in front of the older boy. "I-I won't let you down, Itachi-nii-sama! I promise!"

And perhaps one day, when they had helped Naruto attain the rank of Hokage, then maybe the boy would forgive Itachi and his clan for the transgressions they had wrought against him and his family.

_Perhaps one day, there will be redemption for the Uchiha. _

* * *

_::tsuzuku::_

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Boy, am I glad to finally have this monster of a chapter edited and posted! This installment is definitely my longest one yet, and going through it over and over again checking for mistakes was a nightmare, I tell you. Still, I hope that my beta and I have done a thorough enough job cleaning it at least, but please pardon us if there are still errors that had slipped through despite our combined efforts.

Rest assured that the chapters are not always going to be this horrendously long—well, at least I hope not, but my muse seems to be unusually enthusiastic when it comes to this fic, so I suppose we will just have to see how it goes. I actually planned to have this chapter divided into two parts, but chose not to do so in the end because I felt that it would lessen the impact of the plot. Besides, I get the feeling that some of you readers are really going to start revolting if you guys have to wait for yet another chapter before finally seeing some much anticipated ItaSaku interaction, which brings me to my next point.

I'm aware that there are a number of you who feel that the story progression for this fic is somewhat slow; i.e. the characters are taking forever to grow up and get it on with each other, and the plot is a bit too heavy for those who have been expecting the usual quick-fix one-shot romances that I typically write for this pairing. While I do understand where you guys are coming from, and I suppose I have to apologize for not stating this clearly enough on the first chapter of CP, but this fic is going to be something of a novel-length epic, and therefore we will be taking the long, scenic route as opposed to the usual wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am shortcuts that are more or less doable for one-shots and shorter fics, but tend to leave all sorts of plot holes unfilled when applied to the longer, more detailed ones. It was my original intention (and still ongoing goal, by the way) to only write one chapter for each year of Itachi and Sakura's growth in CP-verse, but as you can see, there are certain periods in the their lives where the important, pivotal events require more focus on, and therefore it is not always possible for me to cut the plot short no matter how convenient it would be to do so (it'd definitely save me much time and effort, at the very least).

…Well, I suppose I _can_, since I'm the authoress and all, but I won't because that's just going to make my OCD-ness go all out of whack and I will become twitchier than ever and uh, you get the idea. Besides, I have already planned out the plot for CP extensively, and I can at least assure you readers that I will try my best not to disappoint your expectations (yes, this fic will _definitely_ be completed), and that there will be more ItaSaku interactions after this chapter onwards.

So, long story short, for those who have difficulties keeping up with this fic or just do not have the patience to do so, I seek your understanding and consideration.

Once again, do keep in mind that 'cabbage patch' chronicles the growing and slowly evolving relationship between our male and female leads through the passage of time, from childhood to adulthood, and I can hardly fulfill that if I continuously skip the critical years and events that would eventually shape the personalities of the characters to what they will become when they finally grow up, not to mention properly explain their motivations and inspirations for doing what they will do in the future due to their experiences gained from the past.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I probably shouldn't mention this here, but since I occasionally get reviews from readers wondering if I'm planning to update my other unfinished fics sometime this century (and also because I think that you guys are more likely to read the chapter notes here than head over to my profile page and attempt to figure out my extensive ramblings there), I'd like to take a short moment to mention that I will be reserving my focus wholly on CP for now, and that the rest of my uncompleted fics are officially on hiatus (and _not_ discontinued) until I have completed this series.

Once again, my apologies for making you guys wait indefinitely, but I feel that focusing on one continuous fic at a time will allow me to work more efficiently than having my attention split five different ways for five different stories. Besides, reading the older fics that I have written in the past makes me cringe a bit inside, and I will definitely need to perform a thorough revamping and cleaning before I restart on those, and that will need time too, which is why I will focus on CP first and work on the rest after.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Tentatively, CP will be updated on a bi-weekly (tri-weekly the most) basis unless special circumstances permit otherwise, on account that most of the chapters from now on will be quite lengthy, though hopefully not as long as this one. I usually backlog at least two chapters before posting in anticipation of any emergency, last minute plot-changes and also for editing purposes, and in the unlikely event that I'm able to backlog more chapters, I will consider updating more frequently, but for now, updates will most likely remain bi-weekly for the foreseeable future.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I didn't really expect this to happen, but there are quite a number of reviewers asking for Sakura's beloved pet weasel, Itachi-chan. Don't worry, he is very much alive and very healthy, and Sakura spoils him terribly, as you all will see in the next chapter, so do look out for that! And since Itachi-chan seems quite popular, I will see what I can do to include the little black mustelid in future installments whenever possible, alright?

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Onto the next topic; the chapter notes and crazy conspiracy theories.

First of all, I'm not sure just how many in the Uchiha clan are aware of the secrets of the Mangekyo Sharingan, but I will hazard a guess and say not many, perhaps only the clan leader and the clan elders, or at least that will be so for CP-verse. After all, I don't see how letting the clan members know that a powerful stage of the Sharingan can be unlocked by killing someone close to them would be particularly conducive for familial relations. I'd really pity the elders in the clan otherwise since Uchiha Last Rites will probably go something like this:

"Yoo-hoo, Granduncle Yashiro, Granduncle Yashiro, can you hear me?"

"He gone yet?"

"No, I don't think so. I poked the bottom of his foot with senbon just now and he kinda twitched."

"Ah. So, you are waiting this time too?"

"Yeah, I missed Great-grandaunt Chie's Last Rites; was on a mission."

"Is that so? No wonder I didn't see you there! As for me, I fell asleep when she finally passed on and those bastard siblings of mine didn't think it was important to wake me for the main event. I'm so keeping my eyes wide open and glued on Granduncle Yashiro this time."

"Oh geez, I can't believe you…"

Yashiro groaned inwardly and tried his best to ignore all the chatter going on around him. It sounded like they were having a goddamn party in his room, what with all the people walking in and out of here, and was that food he smelled? Uchiha Senbei, in particular? The sounds of his relatives sitting around his bed drinking tea and munching on freshly made rice crackers were obnoxiously loud, and Yashiro didn't bother to open his heavy eyelids to glare at those upstart, soul sucking relatives of his.

Good god, have they no respect for the old and dying?

"Yo, am I late? Granddad kicked the bucket yet?" a new voice quipped then.

"No, not yet," someone answered him. "But, soon, I'd guess."

"Soon? But that was what you said one week ago!"

"Ah, don't complain. Here, sit down and have some Senbei and green tea. Teyaki ji-san just brought the crackers over fresh."

"Oh thanks, I'm starving. Hey guys, I brought a deck of playing cards! Who's up for a round of poker?"

There and then, Yashiro wondered if these red-eyed demon spawns who unfortunately shared his blood were trying to force him into an early grave.

With family like these, who still needed enemies?

…

And that is why the Mangekyo Sharingan will remain a closely guarded secret within the Uchiha clan.

…Yeah, I know; my apologies to those who felt that their IQ had dropped irreversibly just from reading the above portion—I just can't help myself; my brain tells me to write strange things all the time.

It's crack, people! Please don't take it (or my weird brain) too seriously.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

According to the Narutopedia, the Mangekyo Sharingan is acquired through the death of someone close to the Sharingan user, and one must feel the emotion of losing a friend or family in order to obtain it, as killing them or merely watching them die will not activate the Mangekyo. I have had reviewers asking about this before, so I thought I would clear this up here. It doesn't have to be a best friend, it can also be a family member, though in canon-Sasuke's case, his brother told him to kill his best friend to acquire the Mangekyo because there are no more family members around after the massacre for Sasuke to go for the latter alternative.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Once again, I would like to remind everyone that this is a Non-Massacre fic, and the Uchiha clan, although wronged and accused of a crime that they did not commit, are not planning any coup d'état to overthrow the ruling leaders of Konoha. The clan elders are resentful and unhappy with the situation no doubt, but are still too prideful to do something so dishonorable and CP-verse's Fugaku is not nearly stupid _or_ suicidal enough to believe that his clan can pull off something like that against the most powerful hidden village in the world and not suffer deadly repercussions for it.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Yes, Shisui knows about the secrets of their clan as well, all thanks to Danzo, and I have my own theory for why that is so.

I believe that in canon-verse, Danzo most likely found out about the secrets of the Mangekyo Sharingan through his under-the-table dealings with Orochimaru, who seems to know about the secret meeting place of the Uchiha clan in the Naka Shrine and also about the tablet kept there after years of research. In CP-verse, because his opportunity to get his hands on Itachi has been sealed by Kokkai's active interference, Danzo will make use of his knowledge to establish a connection to Shisui instead, purposely grooming and cultivating the older Uchiha for his potential to activate the Mangekyo. Here, I'm assuming that the Mangekyo can only be obtained after the standard Sharingan has been fully developed i.e. all three tomoe in each eye must be fully manifested before the next level can be unlocked. It is not unreasonable to assume that Shisui, who has been hailed as one of the most talented members of the Uchiha clan, would have had most likely also completely mastered his Sharingan like Itachi, and therefore has already fulfilled the first criteria to gain the Mangekyo, the second being experiencing the death of a closed one.

This is purely conjecture on my part, but I believe that in canon-verse, Danzo kept Shisui as a failsafe which he eventually made use of when he realized that Itachi was beyond his reach due to his incredible talent and absolute loyalty to Konoha and its Hokage.

I have always wondered why Danzo chose Shisui when he also effectively had Itachi under his thumb, but now I feel that it must be for the same reason why Orochimaru chose to go after Sasuke for his eyes—Itachi was simply out of their league.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I don't think that Naruto is particularly stupid even in canon-verse. Perhaps he is an idiot savant, but he is definitely not stupid. That irritating, foolish mask that he chooses to put on for others to see is most likely a coping mechanism to deal with all the years of emotional neglect and abuse that he had suffered as a child. That boy has proven to be particularly insightful and astute when he chooses to be, as can be seen time and again in the manga, and I believe that his sorry lack of achievements prior to the start of the series can most likely be attributed to either deliberate sabotage from the others around him and/or a distinct lack of motivation to excel on Naruto's part. In canon-verse, Naruto seems to perform his best when he is being depended upon by others. When people believed in him, he promptly delivered, full stop. Over and over again, this was shown throughout the Naruto series. He learned the Kinjutsu Tajuu Kage Bunshin in less than one night. Learned the Rasengan, an extremely difficult technique which required advanced elemental manipulation, which took the Fourth Hokage three years to develop, in less than one month, at the age of _thirteen_. Developed several much deadlier variants of the already highly offensive A-ranked Ninjutsu on his own within the next two years. Mastered the Perfect Sage Mode just in time to save Konoha from imminent destruction, and so on.

In other words, when he is being spurred on by the faith of his precious people, there is little that Naruto cannot do. I believe that motivation had been missing in the younger years of his life, and therefore the boy had only drifted along aimlessly (well, with the exception of his unshakeable dream to become Hokage) until the beginning of the series proper, when he started to gain his precious people one by one. In CP, I'm toying with the idea of Naruto forming some of those bonds a bit earlier, becoming more willing to improve himself, to fight for his dreams and also help to protect those of his friends' as well. Don't worry, there will not suddenly be a genius, super-powered Naruto here, but perhaps his life will just be a bit better with Sakura's belief in him and Itachi's acknowledgement.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I do believe that reading and writing are not amongst Naruto's forte in canon-verse, at least not until Jiraiya came along and forced him to start learning in preparation for teaching him Fuinjutsu, otherwise, Naruto would have known the side benefits of the Kage Bunshin—that any experience the clones gain during their existence is transferred to the user once they are dispersed—from the Forbidden Scroll on the very night he learned how to perform the technique.

Hopefully, Sakura will be able to at least teach him enough to pull his dead last grades up a little.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Before any of you ask, no, Naruto is not physically abused by the village. Perhaps bullied and sometimes knocked around by the older children, yes, occasionally chased around by angry nin and villagers for his various pranks and tricks, yes, emotionally abused from all the hatred and dislike heaped on him due to his prisoner, hell yes. But definitely not mobbed, lynched, beaten, stabbed, emasculated or otherwise tortured like in some of the Naruto-centric fics that I have read before in the past. The villagers are forbidden to attack him outright and I'd like to believe that the Third had at least the good sense to warn the village that assassinating Naruto will not be tolerated, since doing that might always produce the unexpected (though unlikely) side effect of releasing Kyuubi from its seal.

So no, the villagers and the nin in Konoha don't abuse Naruto physically, but they do it either by hating him or deliberately ignoring him, showing him their contempt and denying his existence in every other ways they can, socially isolating him as an outcast and turning him into a pariah, which leads me to believe that there are a lot of people in Konoha with shit for brains because treating the jailor of the most powerful bijuu in existence like crap surely does not seem like a very wise self-preservation technique to me. It really is a wonder that Naruto did not turn out to be like Gaara in canon-verse.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

In this chapter, Itachi discovered the Will of Fire through Naruto, who, as we are all aware, possess the largest supply of the Will of Fire in the entirety of Konoha and Fire Country combined. I do find that a bit amusing and fitting since the blonde does have the largest fiery tailed beast sitting behind his navel, after all.

I know some of you were hoping that Itachi would find the Will of Fire in Sakura, and although she does have the potential for it, it is not fully developed yet as of now, and therefore not entirely strong or nearly impactful enough to force a revelation in Itachi. Naruto, on the other hand, who with his own unfortunate background and sheer, gritty determination, not to mention his stubborn goal to become Hokage and the shared connection to the Uchiha clan through the Kyuubi, made it easier for Itachi to relate to the boy in this particular scenario. We all know that Naruto's spirit is infallible, he is indomitable and unwavering, and Itachi needed to experience that for himself in order to fully understand the meaning of the Will of Fire; that he didn't have to do everything by himself, that with the help of fellow nin and the powerful hope of the next generation, Konoha would be protected so much more effectively than he ever could accomplish on his own.

And yes, young as he is right now in this chapter, Naruto is still very capable of dispensing what the authors in the fandom term as the 'Therapy-no-jutsu,' even if he was just acting by sheer instinct alone. Just one strong dose of Naruto's Therapy-no-jutsu and even the most depressive/homicidal/delusional nin will be instantly cured and immediately turn back to the side of good and righteousness. That is how powerful it is (as can be repeatedly seen in canon-verse) and it is also the only known and proven treatment to Danzo and Uchiha Madara/Tobi's Give-People-Issues-no-jutsu, so you can see why I needed to make use of Naruto's expertise in this installment.

By the way, I disclaim coining those terms myself. There are individuals more ingenious lurking in the fandom who had gotten those down before I even could!

But seriously, lame jokes aside (yeah, I'm full of it, I know), Itachi is going to need a purpose if he is going to remain in Konoha and not defect to Akatsuki for the sake of monitoring Uchiha Madara, and while his bond to Sakura is admittedly special and precious, just that alone is not going to be enough to completely center Itachi at this moment in time. Remember that he is first a warrior and an ANBU Captain, a perfectionist and an overachiever, highly perceptive and possessed incredible foresight, always planning ahead for every possible situation, so I can't really imagine that he is going to be willing to just sit aside and twiddle his thumbs until Madara comes knocking on Konoha's door once more with his posse of merry men in emo cloaks.

By placing Naruto in his path, Itachi has inadvertently found his new purpose i.e. to do everything he can to strengthen Konoha both internally and externally in preparation for the oncoming battle ahead, to eventually bring forth a new, loyal Uchiha clan that will be free of treachery and self-serving members, to serve and bring the Uzumaki clan (and by extension, Konoha) back onto the path to greatness.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

It will be a very interesting concept for the Uchiha clan to one day swear allegiance to the Uzumaki clan, though I'm not sure if many of you will agree.

But significance wise, the Uzumaki family crest is synonymous with the symbol of Konoha, and with Itachi's decision to help Naruto, and last scion of the Uzumaki bloodline, he would effectively tie the fate of his clan to that of the once great Uzumaki clan—to the Will of Fire—to Konoha. There is a positive connotation to such an act, since I really do believe that the Uchiha clan will do better to serve than to lead. Honestly, I can't imagine that all those unending thoughts of vengeance and Curse of Hatred will make any of the Uchiha particularly good leaders. After all, even the Senju's prized Mokuton is a technique that gives Life, whereas the Uchiha's ultimate form of the Sharingan, the Mangekyo, is derived from the blood and death of their own—not exactly loyalty inspiring material, is it?

Hopefully, this change that I have evoked in CP will be able to eventually give birth to an Uchiha clan that will remain utterly loyal to Konoha (at least one that will make sense) because from the way I'm looking at things in the manga, it seems that the great Uchiha clan is likely going to die with Sasuke in the end.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Yes, this is the last part of my longest A/N ever, and I congratulate all of you who have managed to make it through my ramblings. It took me an entire day to write this, I think, but that cannot be helped as there are a lot of points that needed to be explained in detail, and I also needed to justify why it is so important to maintain the plot at this point of the fic. Don't worry, the heavy parts will slowly ease off from next chapter onwards, and some of you will appreciate hearing this; there will most likely be ItaSaku interactions on nearly every installment after this one.

That's all for now; I think my eyeballs are ready to fall out of my head at this point. Hopefully, I won't need to write (and you guys won't need to read) another nearly four thousand word long A/N in the foreseeable future.

Until next time!

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Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

-paws


	9. Chapter 9

**Title:** cabbage patch

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/General/Humor

**Word Count:** 9278

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #23, cabbage patch

**Rating: **T (Contains content not suitable for children)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Non-massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.

**Created on:** 17/11/11

**Completed on:** 24/11/11

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 14/01/12

* * *

**Chapter Nine **

* * *

Sakura hummed happily to herself as she carefully shaped a rice ball in her small hands. This particular omusubi was packed with okaka and bits of chopped tomatoes just the way a certain sulky Uchiha liked it, and standing on a short stool against the kitchen table with her pet Itachi-chan plopped on its surface beside her, the young girl was patiently packing lunch for herself, Sasuke, and not surprisingly, Naruto as well. Rice balls were one of the things that Kaa-san had taught her to make when she was four years old; it was cheap, simple to prepare, and one could never get bored of it because there were so many different fillings to choose from. It wasn't exactly her favorite food per se, but it was nice and filled her stomach and Sakura wasn't very picky about what she ate.

Perched on the table beside her, Itachi-chan was digging with gusto into the small saucer of rice that she had set out for him. The little weasel was by now a handsome, full grown adult all of eighteen inches long, and he did his species proud by being as lazy as he could physically get and responding to situations only with the promise of good food and much cuddling. Right now, the black-furred mustelid was completely engrossed in his meal, so much so that nearly half of his sleek, elongated body was somehow inside the shallow bowl, a dimensionally improbable feat all things considered, and Sakura giggled when she saw the grains of rice stuck to her pet's quivering whiskers.

Putting the last of Sasuke's lunch in the bento box that also housed hers and Naruto's, Sakura carefully closed the lid over it and proceeded to wrap the wooden lunch box in a bright yellow handkerchief, setting it aside on the kitchen table to be brought to school the next day. Kaa-san's bento had already been prepared as well, and even though the older Haruno had often told her daughter that she could pack her own meal, Sakura was always more than happy to do so for her mother. After all, Kaa-san often had to work double shifts and usually came home exhausted and weary, so preparing lunch for her parent was the least the little girl could do to help ease the older female's heavy load. Even now, her mother was still on the job, working a night shift that ensured she wouldn't be home until the next morning.

Naruto had also left a few hours ago, her blonde friend all but bursting with happiness and pride as he finally completed his homework for the very first time. The young boy had enthusiastically promised Sakura that he would practice his penmanship at home, and had promptly departed for a long anticipated ramen dinner at Ichiraku. Sakura had fixed herself a sandwich after her friend's departure, put some rice into the rice cooker to cook, tidied up the house a little, and then got right down to the business of making lunch for herself, her mother, and her friends. Of course, Itachi-chan had his share of rice too, and the little weasel finished gorging himself just as his young mistress packed away the last of her handmade rice balls.

"Alright, I have already done the laundry and washed the dishes. Homework is all done too," Sakura mused to herself. "What should we do now, Itachi-chan?"

The sleek, black mustelid merely yawned at her, flashing sharp little fangs in the process. Now that it was fully fed and its little belly bloated with food, it was time to find a nice, dark spot to nap in and digest the meal that it had just eaten. Before it could skitter off its owner's shoulder, however, there was a knock on the door, and both human and animal turned to stare at the entrance of the apartment. Sakura had not expected any guests at this hour of the evening; it was already around nine and since Kaa-san was out working, there shouldn't be anyone who would visit today, so who-

Once more, the ensuing silence in the apartment was disrupted by another quiet knock on the door, and this time around, Itachi-chan chittered in response. Sakura turned to look at her pet.

"Friend?" she asked the little weasel, and the young animal answered by quickly climbing down the length of its mistress' body and scurrying to the entrance, implying that whoever was on the other side of the door was no stranger. The pink-haired eight year old relaxed minutely and followed slowly after her pet, trusting in its instincts and ability to recognize the scent and auras of the people around them.

The young weasel slunk up the small table stand beside the doorway in a quick flash of black, carefully avoiding the small vase that sat on the surface as it gathered itself to jump across the space between the stand and the door. The well trained animal landed deftly on the narrow, inch-wide door handle on its hind legs in an impressive display of balance and agility, and then proceeded to vertically stretch out to its full length and use its little forepaws to disengage the door chain before butting its furry head against the latch of the lock on the door and undoing the deadbolt with an audible _schlick_. Then, the intelligent mustelid carefully balanced itself off the edge of the door handle, hanging on with its front claws and dangling its entire weight on it, depressing the lever downwards and using the momentum of its sleek, elongated body to swing open the door before dropping soundlessly onto the ground to proudly await its reward.

Sakura automatically took out a small piece of biscuit from her pocket and passed it over to the grabby paws of her precocious pet. "Itachi-chan, you are going to grow fat if you keep eating so much," she chided halfheartedly, but of course the little weasel completely ignored her and just busied itself by stuffing the biscuit into its bulging cheeks. Shaking her head slightly, the girl lifted her gaze to the doorway next.

Sakura looked cautiously towards the person standing outside the entrance of her house. Recognition struck immediately, and the young girl's initial reticence changed quickly to joyous surprise and a happy expression of welcome as she went forward unhesitatingly to receive her visitor.

"Itachi-kun?" the little girl greeted softly, her bright green eyes shining with childish pleasure. "Come in!"

As always, the pink-haired child displayed delight at the presence of the Uchiha heir, welcoming him with warmth and sweet spontaneity. The eight year old reached out fearlessly to the older boy, grabbing his hand and tugging him into her house, shutting the door behind them and then happily pulling him into her living room. Even though his visit was an unexpected one, Sakura was very glad to see her friend all the same. As always, the stoic teen deferred to the young girl's enthusiasm, following after her in his typically subdued manner that most would have interpreted as disinterest or even sheer indifference, but Sakura had never let that bother or intimidate her. Itachi-kun would never purposely hurt the feelings of others like that; even though he was very quiet and he didn't talk much, he was the kindest person she knew, and that made her feel a bit sad too, because somebody as kind and gentle as Itachi-kun should not look like he always did—so…empty and _hurt_…as if something inside him was broken and could never be fixed.

By now, even Sakura had realized that there was something wrong with this much cherished friend of hers. She had known him since she was four, and to the eight year old, that was nearly half her entire life she had spent learning about this wonderful, raven-haired boy who was so precious to her. He was her role model, a shining star who had appeared before her when she most needed him, who was always nearby so that she could depend on him whenever she needed to. He might not know it, but she had always drawn inspiration from his quiet, unwavering courage, this boy who always seemed so strong no matter how he was silently suffering inside, and as such, young Sakura greatly admired her Itachi-kun.

It was her deepest hope to be like him when she grew up, so that one day, _one fine day_, she would become strong enough to protect him just as he had always watched over her, and she could tell him that it was alright; he didn't have to fight alone anymore, and she would fight with him, _for him_, so that he wouldn't have to be so sad anymore, so that he could smile and be _happy_.

For now though, the little girl knew that she was not good enough yet, or even adequately trained, to be able to help him or even try to understand what he was going through, and so she could only do the next best thing—smile for her Itachi-kun because he could not quite seem to be able to do it for himself, and hold his hand in hers because no matter how it looked as though he didn't need to be touched, he never did let go of her whenever she reached out for him.

"Sit here," the pink-haired girl gently but firmly made her guest at home on the couch of her living room, at last reluctantly releasing his hand. His very cold hand. "Eeh, Itachi-kun, you are freezing! Were you outside for very long just now? Wait; I will go prepare tea. Be right out in a minute!"

More than willing to play host, Sakura trotted quickly into the kitchenette before she could be called back. Meanwhile, her pet weasel had already made short work of the treat that it had been given and came loping back into the small living area as well, but instead of trailing after its mistress, the small critter clambered unceremoniously up the couch as well, and completely ignoring the human who shared his name, curled up at the opposite end of the sofa and settled down for a nice nap. The little black mustelid showed every sign of being perfectly at ease around the other Itachi, barely even flicking its ear as it hid its pointed muzzle under its long bottlebrush tail and closed its eyes to sleep.

Sakura pattered out of the kitchen area soon after, carefully balancing a small tray in her hands that contained two mugs of hot green tea. The pink-haired child placed the drinks on the coffee table, kneeling at the raven-haired boy's side as she handed one of the steaming cups over to him. "Careful, it's hot," Sakura cautioned even as her friend took a polite sip of the beverage. The fragrant brew burned a searing path down his throat and straight to his empty, roiling stomach, warming the drawn-looking boy instantly. Cupping the mug in his icy hands, Itachi swallowed another mouthful of the hot tea, and then another, and another, greedily absorbing the heat from the drink as he felt his spirits slowly revive themselves, as he started to feel a bit better, less stiff.

Sakura stared at her friend attentively, her bright green eyes running carefully over his strained features. Itachi-kun looked _terrible_. The parallel lines of stress that etched down alongside his nose seemed so much harsher than usual, and his face was ashen and strained, exhaustion evident in the dark smudges under his eyes and on the grim line of his mouth. It was so obvious that the older boy was suffering once again, and even though she didn't fully understand this powerful feeling that overcame her then, pure compassion welled within the young girl for her friend. Still crouched at the feet of the Uchiha heir, the pink-haired child placed one hand on his knee to gain his attention whereas the other reached instinctively for his face, trembling slightly as she stretched up towards him and brushed her fingertips against the side of his chilly, pale cheek, instinctively trying to offer him whatever meager comfort she could provide.

The tentative touch of her small hand felt wondrously warm and unimaginably precious against his cold skin. Like the arrival of Spring gently but surely vanquishing the frozen, deathly clutches of Winter, the desperately needed human contact slowly thawed out the very numbness that encroached upon his soul, momentarily dispelling the smothering despair that rendered him emotionally immobile, threatened to drown him in its grasping, murky depths. Something indescribable flickered across Itachi's deadened, fathomless eyes then, and before this little girl whose unexplainable presence had never failed to resonate so strongly, _comfortingly_, with his own, life slowly and silently stirred in his dulled gaze. As if awakening from a vicious nightmare, a fine, minute shudder briefly overtook the lean, slender frame of the youth, the edgy tension in his body draining away visibly, and the teen sighed inaudibly, nearly slumping over with weariness and fatigue. _He was so tired_.

Lowering his guard in an unspoken display of trust, the boy closed his eyes and impulsively leaned his head slightly to the side, pressing his cheek fully into the palm of Sakura's small, warm hand, revealing a rare moment of weakness he knew innately that she would never exploit. Meeting Sakura those years ago had truly been a blessing in disguise—Itachi still did not understand why he was able to derive such emotional comfort and peace from this innocent civilian child, but he was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially when he needed it, _needed her_, so desperately at times, when it felt as if nothing in his life was going right, as if he was just an insignificant, helpless leaf being swirled around violent river rapids, subject to the whims of powerful currents, barely struggling to remain afloat.

When everything else was a dizzying, distressing blur of missions, duties and responsibilities, continuously and unceasingly pressing in upon him until he felt like he was going to throw up, about to give in to the strangling panic, her shy, soothing presence centered him before he could succumb to the painful pressure of his life. Even if she didn't know it, this little girl was his saving grace, one that he was simply unwilling and unable to give up, not even now, when everything he thought he once knew was false, when even he himself had no idea what would happen next, so uncertain and unstable was his life at the moment. In the end, he could only retreat deep within himself, deliberately putting his chaotic emotions in deep freeze, depending mechanically on his highly prized logic to do what had to be done, but even that had not been enough, and something inside him was slowly dying.

The enlightening conversation with Shousui-sama had eased his turbulent confusion and shame slightly, the knowledge that his Commander was still willing to stand behind him despite his clan's dishonor heartening. The meeting with Shisui had showed him that he was not entirely alone in his fight against the more traitorous members of his bloodline, and that there might be hope for the Uchiha still. The chance encounter with Naruto-kun had opened his eyes to the true meaning of the Will of Fire, exposing him to the error of his self-sacrificing—_or was it self-serving?_—decision before it was too late and, at the same time, revealing to him other alternatives that could better safeguard Konoha and, by extent, his clan.

The starkly emotional gratitude that the young Uzumaki had shown at the mere promise to help the little blonde achieve his dream was something Itachi would never forget for as long as he lived, especially since the truth was that it was Naruto who would help save him and his undeserving clan more than the other way around, and Itachi had made a silent vow to himself that one day the child would know and understand just how much the Uchiha were indebted to he and his family.

Slowly but surely, Itachi was regaining his purpose, carefully reassessing his shattered loyalties and priorities, resolutely rebuilding the foundation of his shaken trust and faith in all the matters that were so important to him. He was trying his best to _understand_ what was going on around him, painstakingly looking underneath the underneath, making plans in his head a mile a minute, so that he would not feel so lost anymore, so that he would _never_ be so utterly blindsided again.

It was a hard lesson learned, but the teenaged ANBU Captain had always been an exceptional student, and he never forgot what was taught to him.

He would do anything to ensure the safety of Konoha. The wellbeing of his village was essential to the survival of his clan and everyone else precious to him, and if it meant that he had to put Konoha above Uchiha in his list of priorities, then he would do it without hesitation. The latter would never survive without the former after all, and if he had to tie himself down to the village and eventually force every member of his bloodline to serve as its protector and guardian in penance for his clan's sins, _then so be it_. From now on, there would be no more conflict of duty between his clan and village—at least not for him—and his decision was oddly relieving and liberating, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

The Will of Fire—he would protect and defend it with his very being.

It was strange how his priorities had quickly restructured themselves now that his focus had shifted, but Itachi knew innately that he had made the right choice—and there was no going back. Uchiha Madara, although still an extremely pressing concern, was no longer at the very forefront of his mind. Itachi had every faith that the orange masked terrorist would be dealt with eventually, but the Uchiha heir no longer felt that it was his duty alone to see to the downfall of the dangerous nukenin. Shousui-sama was right; he was still young and lacking in experience—to believe, if even for the slightest moments, that he could be on par with someone who claimed to be his ancestor—a being who must have had lived hundreds of years and most definitely possessed unrivalled cunning—was wishful thinking at best and sheer foolishness at worst.

The heavy, distracting issue of clan pride and honor had severely clouded his thinking, but after that had been privately dealt with, it was obvious to Itachi that the threat of Uchiha Madara would be for now better handled by others—preferably individuals who were just as shrewd and as experienced as their wily opponent. Every ninja knew that the only being more deadly than an accomplished shinobi was an old one. It was a well-known fact that while many good ninjas die young, those who managed to survive to a ripe old age were the truly dangerous ones worth respecting and should be approached with extreme caution. Needless to say, as the strongest Hidden Village in the world, Konoha possessed its fair share of the seemingly frail but deceptively powerful geriatric warriors. To compare the worldly experiences of those elders to that of his own was akin to trying to measure the difference between a whale and a river trout—it was no wonder that his Commander had hardly taken him seriously at all; thinking back of his exchange with the Akikaze patriarch, Itachi realized with inward chagrin that he had reacted unthinkingly and impulsively, had been arrogant and overly presumptuous.

For now, Itachi accepted that Uchiha Madara was out of his league, an opponent that he was unable to deal with, but that did not mean that there was nothing else for the teen to focus on until that changed. Ensuring the internal security of Konoha was an equally important endeavor, and even if he could not engage their enemies directly, the young ANBU Captain was aware that he could still make himself useful in other ways. At least a dozen plans were brewing in his head at any one time, and even though nothing was set in stone yet, the possibilities were endless, and for the first time since he had learned the horrible truth of his clan, Itachi felt…_hopeful_.

Maybe it would all work out in the end, after all.

A small hand squeezing his knee returned his attention back to the present, and the raven-haired teen slowly reopened his eyes to look at the worried features of the young pink-haired girl whose home he was currently ensconced in. Truth to be told, it had not been his intention to turn up at the doorstep of the Haruno family. After parting ways from Naruto-kun earlier, Itachi's feet had automatically led him to his current destination, and he had been struck by a sense of impulsiveness to knock on the door. After all, there was no other place to turn to, nowhere else he could possibly go. With his newfound revelation and understanding, Itachi had balked at the notion of returning to the Uchiha compound at that moment. He was simply not ready to do so yet; his emotions had hardly settled and he was not confident of his ability to maintain his neutrality and continue to feign ignorance of the dark knowledge that he had learned in the Naka Shrine. A part of him dreaded running into his parents, doubted that he would be able to stop himself from blurting out his accusations if he had—_Have you known all along? Why have you kept it from us all this time? Why haven't you done anything to fix this?_

And Sasuke—Itachi did not know how to even look at his innocent little brother right now; that lively, inquisitive child had always been so proud of their clan, had always strove to be one of its protectors one day—how was he supposed to tell his impressionable, younger sibling that it had all been false, that their noble clan was not so noble after all, that their unique, _accursed_, kekkei genkai held a secret so bloody and tainted that it should never be brought to light?

Itachi was starting to tense once more, his pale face strained and his jaw muscle ticking reflexively in reaction to his increasing stress levels. Alarmed by his visibly drawn appearance, his young companion tapped lightly at his cheek to gain his attention once more, distracting him from his anxious thoughts.

"Itachi-kun," Sakura whispered then, concern shining clearly in her deep verdant gaze. Her friend's wavering attention span and blank, dull expression worried her greatly, especially since she had never seen him quite like this before. It was obvious to her that he was agitated and upset over something, and that upset her greatly as well in return. She desperately wanted to fix him, but wasn't quite sure how to go about doing it. "Uhm, I made onigiri just now. I was going to ask Sasuke to bring some to you tomorrow, but since you are here, will you have some? Please?"

Dark onyx flickered over to meet the quietly pleading gaze of the young girl. Sakura was biting her lower lip and looking very concerned. It quickly occurred to Itachi that perhaps he should not have come here after all; his edgy, high strung demeanor was clearly distressing Sakura even as he selfishly tried to distract himself with her presence. Once again, guilt ate at him. He could never do anything right, could he.

The Uchiha heir deliberately forced himself to relax, and then he nodded slightly. "I haven't eaten yet," he admitted to her in his quiet voice. He still didn't have much of an appetite at the moment even though his last meal was probably taken some time the day before, but was willing to concede otherwise in order to reassure the pink-haired child. "I'd be grateful for your onigiri."

Sakura tipped her head slightly to the side at the civil reply. Itachi-kun was always polite no matter what he did, but this time, Sakura wanted to tell him that it was okay; he didn't always have to say things like that to her because they were friends. The little pink-haired girl held her tongue, though, and withdrew her hands from him. "I will go get the rice balls," she told him softly, as if afraid that she would somehow damage him if she spoke any louder. "You still feel so cold! Drink more tea; have mine too!"

It was a very odd feeling to be fussed over by an eight year old. By observation, most children her age were still self-preoccupied and more concerned with their own sense of being than that of others, and even though that would change as they grew older, Sakura did not seem to be of quite the same ilk as the rest. The little girl he had found himself so partial to had always been uncannily perceptive even at a very young age, and perhaps it was her single parent family background that had made her more independent than other children, that had forced her to mature faster than her peers, though not quite at the same rate as himself, but it always seemed to him that she was unusually empathetic and considerate to the wellbeing of others, and this time was no different.

Itachi watched as his young companion scampered back into the kitchen area, and then very quickly returned with a bento box in her hands. Once again, she came to a kneel at his feet, placing the traditional lunchbox on the low rise coffee table and carefully undoing the knotted dark blue cloth that had been aesthetically wrapped around it. Sakura lifted the cover of the bento and set it aside next, revealing a bi-partitioned interior, the larger compartment filled with neat rows of plain onigiri, whereas the smaller segment contained a small stack of nori to complement the rice balls. Though the fare was nothing fancy and the arrangement of the bento more practical than decorative, the fact that this young child had cared enough to remember his preferences, had painstakingly made each of the onigiri in her small hands, _just for him_, made something tangible squeeze in his chest at the realization.

It made him feel…_contented_, he realized belatedly. The flicker of warmth licked at his frozen emotions, and he grabbed at it immediately with both hands. The string of events from the past few days had been nothing short of a complete nightmare for him, and right now, this small bit of happiness meant the world to him, even if he didn't know how to show it, or his gratitude to the young girl who had unknowingly given him this priceless gift. Sakura didn't seem to notice the dazed, wondering stare that her Itachi-kun was leveling at her though. Focused on her task, she carefully took one of the onigiri in her hand, picked up a thin piece of nori, and then deftly wrapped the dried, crisp seaweed around the rice ball. The sensible eight year old then turned to her best friend, took his empty cup from him and then firmly pushed the rice ball towards him for him to take.

"Here, eat, eat!" Sakura commanded in a fussing, grown up manner that she easily emulated from her mother. She watched as the raven-haired Uchiha slowly lifted the onigiri to his mouth and took a small bite. The girl eyed Itachi in a slightly anxious manner. "Is it good?" she asked hesitantly at last, worried that perhaps he did not find the omusubi to his liking.

Dark onyx eyes warmed imperceptibly, and Itachi slowly swallowed the mouthful of rice and seaweed. "It is very good," he told her softly, sincerely. "Thank you, Sakura."

The little girl all but brightened at the praise, and she beamed at the teen. "Then, please eat more, okay? It'd make me very happy if you eat more and feel better afterwards."

Her genuine, earnest entreaty made the warmth in his heart spread further, and the comforting sensation felt so precious that Itachi struggled to commit this treasured feeling to memory. The boy did not know what he had done in the past to earn respite in the form of this eight year old girl, but he was immensely thankful for it all the same. At last, the raven-haired teen placed his hand on Sakura's head and gently patted her soft pink hair in response to her remark. She smiled shyly and butted lightly against him with corresponding affection, glad to see some semblance of life returning to the bleak gaze of her friend. Sakura was pleased to remain where she was then; sitting on the back of her calves as she watched him polish off the rest of the rice ball, and then fixing him another one as his appetite slowly returned to him.

Much to her delight, Itachi-kun ended up having three servings of the onigiri. The plain but filling fare was quickly becoming a particular favorite of his, and consuming the simple homemade meal calmed and relaxed him, not to mention had also satisfied his hunger, the latter of which had made itself known with a near vicious intensity after his long, unintentional fast. Sakura repacked the bento after he had his fill, replacing the lid and retying the dark blue cloth around the simple wooden container and leaving it on the coffee table. There were still enough leftovers inside the lunchbox for another meal at least, and she made him promise to bring it home so that he could have the rest when he was hungry again. Like her mother had taught her, the well-mannered pink-haired child carefully poured more tea for her guest, making sure that his cup was never empty. Itachi-kun appeared slightly more alert now that he had eaten, but he was still quiet as always, and as much as Sakura wanted to know what was wrong with him, the little girl did not ask. He still looked distracted but was more pensive now, though no longer as tensed and stiff, and she did not want him to feel like earlier when he first came to visit, so visibly unhappy and upset.

Unobtrusively, Sakura left the older boy to his contemplation, choosing instead to occupy herself in other ways. It was not the first time that the two of them were together like this; content enough to be in each other's calming presences even if nothing else was exchanged. Though hardly a reclusive introvert, the special circumstances of her humble family background ensured that Sakura was no stranger to long bouts of silence and loneliness, and young as she was, she had long since taught herself to accept and appreciate the peaceful quietness as a companion rather than to dread and resent it. The little girl appreciated companionship and enjoyed participating in social interactions as much as any other eight year old, but also did not mind doing without them if she had to. Her versatile nature certainly explained why she could be so comfortable around the Uchiha heir, especially since the boy's own quiet and reticent character usually ensured that most children her age (or even those his age) did not find his silent, watchful company interesting or particularly engaging at all.

This young tensai who, for all his supreme intellect and battlefield genius, was woefully socially inept with his distant demeanor and clear inability to participate in casual societal norms that the people around him found such ease in performing. As such, the fact that there was this little girl constantly reaching out to him despite his inadequacies in interpersonal relations, seeing past his withdrawn and aloof nature for the person he really was underneath it all, quickly made Sakura worth her weight in gold in his regard, and even if the child herself did not know it yet, _even if Itachi himself did not know it yet_, the unwavering attention of this scion of the powerful clan of Sharingan wielders would eventually belong to her for as long as she willed it. The undeniable connection between the two had begun to grow from the very moment they first met, though both were still too young and unaware to recognize it, and even as the Wheel of Time continued to turn, the many intricate bonds that continued to form as a result of endless encounters and gradual understandings would only serve to draw the two closer and closer to each other, until they were both inexplicably entwined and tightly bound. It was as the fates had ordained; one day, this rare bond of innocent friendship borne from need and trust would bloom into something spectacularly breathtaking and lasting, but until then, like a fragile sprout, it would have to be carefully nurtured and protected, patiently waiting for its turn to blossom.

At the moment, the young pink-haired girl picked up a pencil, her textbook and a blank parchment before rejoining her friend. This time, she climbed onto the couch to sit beside him, making herself comfortable before she cracked open the book and started to study the passages, occasionally jotting down certain characters onto the empty piece of paper as she did so. Eventually, her peculiar practice of writing down what looked like random words on the paper caught Itachi's attention and roused his curiosity enough for him to observe her briefly, and when he still found no rhyme or reason to her action, he asked for an explanation.

Sakura blinked owlishly at him, surprised that he had broken the silence. "I was just picking out some words to help Naruto with tomorrow," she confided good naturedly. "I'm teaching him how to read and write; he's really terrible at those!"

The raven-haired Uchiha recalled the blonde's comment about how Sakura had helped him with his homework. He looked at the young girl carefully. "You are helping Naruto-kun?" he probed. Sakura nodded.

"Yep! Naruto needs help," Sakura replied decisively. "The sensei in school is not teaching him right," she told the older boy worriedly. "I don't know why they don't like him, but it cannot be his fault. He didn't do anything wrong!"

Sakura was feeling righteously angry on her friend's behalf, and Itachi silently agreed with her, even if the young girl had no idea just how correct she was.

"I will help as well," the young ANBU Captain volunteered, interest stirring slowly in his quietly watchful gaze. "What are you teaching him?"

The pink-haired girl brightened at his question. "Uhm, we are working on the common characters right now," she informed him thoughtfully. "I think it'd be easier to start with those."

It made sense, and knowledge of the common words and vowels would give the young blonde a higher chance of at least comprehending the gist of whatever he was reading even if he failed to understand all of it. Sakura would know, having taught herself to read and recognize the characters at the age of four. Itachi nodded in agreement, and then proceeded to spend the next hour or so helping her to pick out the important kanji that would benefit Naruto's learning. It was easy to immerse himself in the endeavor since the task provided the necessary distraction to keep him from fretting over the messy state of affairs of his clan, and temporarily at least, Itachi gladly welcomed the brief respite, and for a moment or two, could almost pretend that he had nothing more pressing to attend to.

It was nearing midnight when they were done, and by then, Sakura was already drooping with exhaustion and losing the fight with sleep. The little girl could barely mask the large yawns that took up half of her face, and her emerald eyes blinked sleepily as she closed her textbook at last and dropped it, along with the now filled sheet of parchment and pencil, onto the coffee table. Then, the child slumped back onto the couch and pressed instinctively into the side of her dear friend. Well used to the little girl's innocent, trusting displays towards him, Itachi relaxed as well and unthinkingly lifted his hand to stroke her hair idly, and in response, she nuzzled deeper against him, sighing with undiluted contentment.

"You should prepare for bed," Itachi told her slowly after a while, but yet none of them felt ready to move. Itachi was quite comfortable where he was on this worn, well used couch, his lack of rest for the past few days quickly pressing him with a vengeance now that he was no longer tensed and stressed enough to willfully deny the needs of his highly fatigued body. His instincts registered that he was safe here, sheltered in this tiny haven tucked away in the civilian neighborhood of Konoha, and his guard was lowered enough for sleep to start creeping in.

Sakura shook her head slightly, drawing her skinny legs into her chest and tucking herself even more snugly against him. "Mmm wanna be with Itachi-kun for a little longer," she mumbled, her eyes already drifting shut, her hand reaching out to clutch onto the hem of his shirt.

"So don't go anywhere…kay?"

Itachi stiffened. Her request floored him.

The Uchiha turned his head sharply to stare at the young girl, for a brief moment, muted surprise flickering in his dark eyes. _How could she have known?_ Sakura failed to give him an answer; she had already fallen asleep, her head resting trustingly against him, her soft pink hair spilling over to his shoulder, her eyes closed, long, dense eyelashes the palest shade of rose fanning the milky skin of her cheeks, her small rosebud mouth slightly parted as she breathed softly. The child radiated such innocence and trust in her repose, and as always, watching over her wrought a bittersweet sensation of fleeting peace in him, followed quickly by an instinctive urge to hoard and covet that feeling to himself for as long as he possibly could, basking greedily under that gentle warmth.

Unlike himself, this little girl was still innocent, still possessed an unlimited amount of purity and goodness in her heart and soul, untainted and untouched by the ugliness and sins of the world. Even though he knew that it was impossible to do so, a part of him desperately wanted this compassionate, kindhearted child to forever remain as she was. He dreaded the day when she had to open her eyes and see the truth for herself, that the world was not as wonderful or as perfect as she had always believed, that fairy tales only ever happened in storybooks, that he was really nowhere near as special or as amazing as she had always thought that he was.

There was no use denying it; she would grow up eventually, the rose-tinted glasses of childhood would come off, and she would realize what he really was and become disenchanted, just as Sasuke would as well, _in time_. He hoped that they would forgive him for his weakness then, for not being strong enough to tell them otherwise, for being selfish—_desperate_—enough to use their innocence to soothe his wounded, broken soul—

But even then, until this beautiful dream ended, he would still not seek to change a thing.

Slowly, hesitantly, his hand came up to Sakura's peaceful features, nervous, finely shaking, rough, calloused fingers—flesh that was forever marked by strife and violence even at an age so young—gently stroking the soft, tender skin of the young girl's cheek with heart aching care. She did not stir from her sleep, and at last, he lowered his hand back to his lap, all the while silently contemplating the complicated circumstances of his life. It was quiet and peaceful here, and he found that he could think so much better right now, with his needs more or less assuaged and his emotions calmed.

Itachi was unaware of the time that had passed as he sat there beside Sakura and tentatively made plans for both the immediate and distant future. Everything was still so uncertain, and anyone in his shoes would have cowered, hid and cried—he had every right to succumb to the paralyzing fear, he was only thirteen years old and what could he do against a cunning, shrewd enemy so maliciously evil, so incredibly powerful, who was intent on nothing less than the complete annihilation of everything that he held dear—but the warm, reassuring weight beside him never failed to help center and calm the agitated nerves of the teenage boy every time his thoughts became tainted with fear and anxiety.

Itachi would not deny it; he was _terrified_ of what the future might bring, _visions of war and the skies stained red with rage and hatred_, but at the same time, the physical reminder of little Sakura, the precious, sacred things that she represented—comfort, hope, happiness, _home_—drove him to push past the debilitating fear and crippling panic, forced him to focus on what was most important.

In the darkest hour of Itachi's life, the young ANBU Captain quietly drew strength from the calming, reassuring presence of his young, pink-haired companion and silently formed his conclusion. He now understood the belief that he would spend the rest of his life fighting for. It was a good cause, he truly believed, to risk everything for. Dark onyx eyes, previously dulled from an unrelenting series of shock and despair, slowly hardened with purpose.

He would do _whatever_ it took to protect that which was so precious to him.

* * *

Kokkai crossed his arms over his chest and eyed the young Uchiha neutrally as the latter was once again crouched respectfully at the elder's feet. True to his command, Itachi had appeared at the light of dawn to give his Commander his answer, and although the raven-haired teen still looked visibly tensed and quite obviously on edge, he no longer seemed to be as agitated or as conflicted as the day before. It was apparent that his subordinate had already made his decision, judging by the resolute air that surrounded him, and now all that was left was the hope that the boy had at least the good sense to choose wisely.

"Did you find it?" the _shousui_ asked gruffly at last, breaking the silence between himself and the teen.

Itachi nodded once. "I did, Shousui-sama." His voice was composed, firm, every bit the ANBU that he was. The boy had regained his composure in a remarkably short period of time, all things considered, and was returning to his usual prompt, professional self. Kokkai nodded in satisfaction, pleased that the Uchiha heir had managed to make his peace with the unexpected discovery of the sordid affairs of his clan. That had been part of the elder's intention, after all, when he had sent the young Captain out to the village to look for his answer—that Itachi be allowed to calm down before he could make any rash decisions.

"Have you also given careful thought to what I want you to consider?" Kokkai continued to ask.

There was a short pause before Itachi replied. "I did, Shousui-sama."

"And have you chosen?" the Akikaze pressed calmly.

"Yes," Itachi whispered. The scion of the Uchiha clan raised his head to meet the collected, calm gaze of his Commander. This time around, no hesitation or doubt lingered in the teen's dark eyes, even if he looked visibly pained by his reply. "My loyalty is to Konoha. I will do my duty to my village."

The _shousui_ did not react to the harshly resolute declaration for a long while. His stern, age hewn features revealed neither joy nor relief at the knowledge of young Itachi's answer. There was nothing to be happy about in this situation; the boy was performing a sacrifice that not many would have done in his shoes, and his Commander would not cheapen his subordinate's decision by gloating needlessly about it.

At last, the wizened old man could only quote an old Japanese proverb in sympathy. "Death is lighter than a feather, but duty, heavier than a mountain," Kokkai offered quietly. "Do you understand why you must choose, Itachi?"

The young Uchiha closed his eyes and bowed his head. "I understand your lesson, Shousui-sama," he replied softly. "And that is why I will choose Konoha every time. The honor of my clan…is not worth the sacrifice of the village."

He had already figured it out by himself, had understood the necessity of what he had to do. If he chose to side with his own blood, the best he could hope for was to conceal and hide the past sins of his clan, and that was not nearly enough because the stains of treachery would never truly go away. However, by choosing Konoha and the Will of Fire, therein laid the path of redemption for his clan, because only by protecting the future, would the Uchiha clan have the chance to regain their honor. The truth of the matter was that the fate of his clan would always be intricately tied to that of his village—without Konoha, there would be no Uchiha—it was as simple as that.

Kokkai arched a thick, bushy brow. "Not everyone in your clan will agree with your statement, boy," the elder remarked dryly.

"With all due respect, Shousui-sama," Itachi responded steadily. "I will deal with the members of my family when the time is right."

The boy was only thirteen, but it was apparent that all that intensive clan heir training and mandatory attendance in clan meetings would give him an undeniable edge in the political battleground in the future, one that Kokkai was eager to help hone as well in preparation for his future administrative duties as ANBU _fukushousui_. Itachi was not nearly old or experienced enough to be butting heads with the shrewd elders of his clan yet of course, but if he was planning to take on that pack of slavering wolves, then he was definitely going to need all the help he could get. The Uchiha heir was going to be in for one hell of a fight if he fully intended to quell the unruly members of his clan the way Kokkai suspected, but that particular battle was far off in the future still, and therefore not a pressing issue for now.

The ANBU _shousui_ nodded slowly, changing the subject.

"Hokage-sama has been apprised of the situation, and after much careful deliberation, we are both on the common accord that it is best for you to remain uninvolved in this investigation at this time." Itachi did not react visibly to the decision of the higher-ups, had already guessed as much that this would be the likely outcome. Kokkai continued.

"We have been hearing rumors of this Akatsuki for the past few years now, especially since our good friend Orochimaru is apparently also a member of theirs, and therefore have some of our intelligence networks actively gathering information on that group. As such, it is not necessary to dispatch you to track their movements as well. Besides, your forte is not in espionage and counterintelligence, but in strategic maneuvering and tactics, both of which I will be directly overseeing your training in from now on, along with other skills and knowledge that I deem important for you to pick up and further expand upon."

The ANBU _shousui_ paused briefly for the young Captain to absorb the significance of his remark, and the Uchiha did not disappoint. Itachi stilled with surprise, quickly lifting his onyx eyes to meet the sharp emerald gaze of the elder.

"…Shousui-sama?" The boy's unasked question was promptly answered by a nod of confirmation from his Commander. Itachi looked faintly stunned, and Kokkai just harrumphed under his breath.

"There's no need to look so surprised, boy. Most nin your age are usually placed in teams of three under the supervision of a Jounin-sensei, and, in rare exceptions, if proven to be outstandingly skilled or have shown aptitude in a particular aspect of the ninja arts, may also be apprenticed to a highly specialized mentor to further develop their abilities. You are a special case, having been made Genin at seven and Chuunin by the age of ten, and you have the attention and expectations of many placed upon you. I, too, have been monitoring your growth and progress closely since you entered ANBU. In the last three years, you have shown remarkable potential and also possess the appropriate traits for the position that I have in mind and would like to groom you for."

Kokkai propped his hip against the edge of his study table and looked down challengingly at the Uchiha.

"What say you, boy? Are you willing to be trained to become my right hand and eventual successor, Uchiha Itachi?"

The verbal confirmation of the elder's offer briefly threw Itachi in for a loop. He had not expected to receive such favor from his Commander, especially not since the latter was fully aware of the precariously dangerous state of affairs that his clan was currently situated. Families with backgrounds of traitorous involvements against their countries, no matter how mild, were often stigmatized and shunned by the rest of the community once the knowledge of their members' treacherous deeds were made known to the public. Even if the rest of the family had no involvement in the act itself, they were usually cast as outsiders all the same, resented and reviled, branded by the rest as a family of traitors and never trusted again. Even though the entire village was not aware of the truth behind the Kyuubi no Kitsune's rampage eight years ago, the highest rank of Konoha's ruling circle knew very well of the Uchiha's involvement—and had proceeded to systematically curtail and limit the clan's influence and power over the years. Itachi understood their reasons for doing what they did, but it hadn't made the pain of distrust hurt any less.

Now, his Commander was giving him an opportunity to turn the situation around. It wouldn't be an instant, miraculous transition; it would take time, effort, and much sacrifice, but he instantly recognized that the benefits far outweighed the costs, and he was willing to do it. The prestige and honor of the position awarded to him would serve to soothe the wounded pride of his family, affording the clan elders the recognition and respect amongst the village that they had so desperately sought. Most importantly of all, the training that he would receive from his Shousui would further hone his skillset and greatly aid in his long term objective of protecting Konoha, both internally and externally, ultimately preparing him to effectively deal with and defeat the powerful enemies that threatened their village.

_Uchiha Madara_. That name would haunt Itachi until that man finally ceased to exist, and until that day came, the raven-haired scion of the Uchiha clan knew that he would do whatever it took to keep chasing after that maliciously evil man until he could be brought down once and for all. This offer that his Shousui had proposed was simply the beginning, and would one day pave the way to all of his goals.

Itachi grabbed it with both hands. The teenage ANBU Captain briefly lowered his head before his Commander, and now mentor, humbly.

"It'd be my honor to serve and train under your guidance, Shousui-sama," the boy declared quietly but firmly.

Kokkai cracked an amused smirk. The kid was utterly respectful and as mindful of his elders as always, even in a situation where most in his shoes would be jumping up and down for joy at the opportunity to be officially apprenticed to one of the more powerful and experienced shinobi in Konoha, the head of the ANBU forces.

"Very well," the aged Akikaze replied at last, satisfaction lacing his usually dry tone. "I will inform your family of the apprenticeship in due time, but I'm certain that they'd approve. From now on, you will accompany me to all council meetings as my personal guard detail, whereupon I want you to make your presence scarce, but watch very carefully and learn. You will be entering an entirely different kind of battleground in those gatherings and I'd suggest you quickly pick up the necessary skills to navigate those minefields, especially if you plan to wrest back control of your clan in the future."

The surprise that flickered past the boy's dark eyes was pretty entertaining to watch, and Kokkai huffed softly under his breath. "Boy, you have a good poker face for one your age, but I can still read your intentions like an open book," the _shousui_ explained with grim humor, much to the teen's mild shift of unease. "And if I can do that, you can be assured that those vultures in your clan will be able to do so as well." The elder waved his gnarled hand carelessly at his now uncomfortable looking new student. "Do not worry, that'd be the first lesson you will master. You will learn how to play the game, and I will teach you to do it with enough finesse that your opponents will not know what hit them until it is too late."

Strike quickly, decisively, and silently. Kokkai would make sure that his protégé would be a credit to his ANBU background in every way, and for the first time in years, the old man actually found himself looking forward to seeing what the future would bring. Once again, they were living in interesting times, and although not everyone would share in his amusement, Kokkai decided that it was better than just sitting around ruminating about the past. Bah, he'd live now that he was still alive; he'd stew on his regrets when he was dead.

"You will continue with your usual ANBU duties along with the rest of your new responsibilities," the grizzled Commander directed after a pause. He did not ask if the teen was amenable to his terms, but acted as if his demands were simple enough that even a young child could fulfill them. Itachi did not refute him; the elder was his master now, and as apprentice, he was honor bound to do anything the old man asked of him.

"And as I mentioned earlier, you are not authorized to deal with Akatsuki and Uchiha Madara until I deem you capable enough. Besides, judging by the nature of your encounter with your unwanted visitor, it is obvious that they are still recruiting members—all the pawns are not fully gathered yet, and he will need a full set before he can even think of taking us on. We will use this time to prepare ourselves for what is to come." The Commander looked at his young subordinate. "Be patient; you will get your chance eventually, but now is not the time for you to show your hand yet."

"I understand, Shousui-sama," Itachi replied steadily, and he really did. "I will not heed the summons of Uchiha Madara or the Akatsuki."

"Good," Kokkai retorted shortly, surely. "Because that choice is no longer yours to make, boy. From this day on, you are one of ours. You will die only at the behest of Konoha, or none at all."

* * *

_::tsuzuku::_

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Hi, guys! My apologies for the late update! Real life has been a bit hectic for me recently; I got caught up in the festive mood, ended up procrastinating somewhat and putting my fics on the backburner for a while to celebrate Christmas and New Year, and then ran off on a short trip overseas with my friends last week (too busy having fun to think of ItaSaku, haha). Then the new academic semester started this week and I got preoccupied rearranging my schedule and getting back in gear for yet another crazy school term, and following that, the Chinese New Year is coming next week and there will be yet another whirlwind of activities to deal with…yeah, I have been quite busy lately, so please do forgive me for this late installment!

By the way, a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all readers, since I missed the chance to wish all of you last year! Hope all of you had a great start to 2012!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Here, we finally have the long awaited appearance of Itachi-chan! Clearly, after four years of being Sakura's pet, the weasel is a full grown animal by now, and he is both smart and lazy in terms of character, always looking for maximum gains for minimum efforts. He will be having some cameo appearances every now and then, and for those who asked, yes, he is a nin-animal and will therefore enjoy a lifespan longer than the average wild weasel. I'm still not decided whether to let Itachi-chan participate as a ninja tool in Sakura's future, but even if that does come into play, he will obviously not be the combative type, but will take a more supporting/recon role in consideration of his size and deceptive cuteness!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Also, as promised, some ItaSaku interaction, even though there's not much going on between those two for now, and this installment is more of a filler chapter than anything else, really, helping to tie up some loose ends before the next mini timeskip. More development between our two lead characters to come in subsequent updates, though, so do watch out for those!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

According to the Third Naruto Databook, Itachi's two favorite foods were cabbage and onigiri with seaweed. It's an interesting observation to me; the Uchiha brothers' tastes in food are surprisingly modest and simple despite being born to the main family of a ninja high clan.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

For those who are wondering about Sasuke and his conspicuous absence in the current events of CP, rest assured that he will make his appearance very soon. I won't neglect the brotherly bond between Itachi and Sasuke; that will come into play soon enough. For now though, Sasuke will remain oblivious to his brother's inner turmoil, which I feel is compliant to canon-verse as canon!Sasuke had been more or less ignorant of Itachi's conflicted stand between the Uchiha and Konoha until he came home one evening and found his entire clan murdered in cold blood, supposedly under the hands of his older brother.

Since I still intend to keep the plot as close to canon as possible and there will be no Uchiha massacre in CP-verse to force Sasuke to grow up abruptly, he will need a bit more time to mature mentally before he can take a more active role in the grand scheme of things, so as to speak.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

This latest plot development shouldn't come as a complete surprise to you guys. At thirteen, Itachi (the human one) is at the age where he would either be put in a team to be mentored by a Jounin sensei or apprenticed to a high ranking ninja for advanced, specialized training according to his personal field of merit. He has been marked down from the very beginning as a potential _fukushousui_ candidate from the moment he entered ANBU, so it is only fitting that the _shousui_ would officially take Itachi under his wings to be groomed as his future successor.

Of course, I'm also trying to follow the main gist of succession in the Naruto storyline: Naruto to Jiraiya, Sakura to Tsunade, and Sasuke to Orochimaru, since, apparently, it takes a legend to teach another legend.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

-paws


	10. Chapter 10

**Title:** cabbage patch

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/General/Humor

**Word Count:** 11000

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #23, cabbage patch

**Rating: **T (Contains content not suitable for children)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Non-massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.

**Created on:** 25/11/11

**Completed on:** 08/12/11

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 14/03/13

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

It was peaceful for awhile; the horizons were quiet and tranquil, the days passed lazily and the nights were cool and soothing.

Life went on as usual, people continued to live their lives blithely, Konoha still thrived and prospered, unflinchingly and unapologetically protecting and sheltering her villagers. Nothing had changed except for the perception of an increasingly jaded Itachi, and even then, within a matter of days, those events that had triggered the upheavals in his life quickly fell into perspective for the bluntly rational prodigy. What had happened had happened, and could not be altered since it was in the past, so there was no point fixating on it, and the time was better spent preparing for what was to come in the future.

Within a couple of weeks the young Uchiha was almost functioning as per normal, his increased responsibilities in ANBU as Captain and now apprentice to the _shousui_ serving to take up his attention completely. His clan had been pleased to accept the formal request of apprenticeship on his behalf, knowing full well that behind the unexpectedly generous offer lay the possibility of their heir's eventual succession to ANBU _fukushousui_, and once again, the clan elders had ordered him to do his duty by his bloodline, to push himself even harder than before, to do everything possible to achieve that coveted title.

Attending that last clan meeting had been particularly difficult for him—he had never enjoyed being summoned before the presence of the clan elders in the first place, and now burdened with the knowledge that Uchiha Madara had seen fit to impart to him, the experience was nearly unbearable. He was growing distinctly disconnected and uncomfortable around the members of his clan; he didn't want to think about it when he was around them, but he could not control his sharp discerning mind and acutely observant senses that seemed to work on their own without his directive, instinctively analyzing his own blood kin with the same methodical, systematic techniques he used to hunt down nukenin and complete his missions, wondering about their motives and silently scrutinizing their actions, where every unusual behavior was immediately noted down and brought into question, trying to figure out—_are you the innocent, or are you the traitor_?

He didn't want to do this to his own relatives, but he had been too well trained as a warrior and a ninja, his already inborn analytic abilities further honed so finely that _he just could not help himself_. Look underneath the underneath, the instructors had always taught their students in the Academy; as if the blinkers covering his eyes all these while had just been suddenly removed, he was looking now and, to his dismay, _he could not stop_. It was partly for that reason that he started to avoid his own parents like the plague, afraid to see the truth, not daring to look at them for too long because he silently feared that he would discern something that he did not want to see, _never wanted to know_.

The transition to accept and live with the knowledge of his clan's dishonor was difficult—Uchiha Madara was right; the price of knowing had been steep, and he was paying for it even now, was reminded of it at every turn. He was struggling internally to deal with it as best as he could, and even though he still appeared outwardly the same—reserved and emotionally withdrawn, perhaps a bit more distant than usual—he felt nowhere as calm and as sedate as he looked. Surely, that would change with time. His knowledge was still new, he reasoned logically; he just needed a bit more time for it to settle, and then—

Then, disaster struck.

Not one month into Itachi's new understanding of his clan, where he was beginning to take it all in stride, Shisui, his cousin, his stupidly careless, idiotically selfless cousin—

He found the older male in one of the Uchiha private training grounds that afternoon, battered, bleeding, _mortally injured_.

They were supposed to meet at the usual spot nearby along the Naka river; his older relative had arranged the meeting a few days ago, claiming that there was something very important that Itachi needed to know, but when the usually punctual nin failed to show up for two hours, alarm bells went off in Itachi's head. The young ANBU Captain had gone off in search for the other Uchiha then, and when he finally found his kin, partially hidden behind a low, crumbling wall at the far end of the most deserted training area of their clan, his chakra completely suppressed and his presence near undetectable safe for the faint, barely disturbed surroundings that had revealed his trail to the exceptionally astute heir, dread pooled in Itachi's stomach at the sight of his cousin.

Shisui's right eye was swollen shut and he was bleeding profusely; there was blood everywhere, the heavy smell of it saturating the air, so sickeningly sweet that, even from a short distance away, Itachi could almost taste the nauseating metallic taint on his tongue. A brief, preliminary observation of his cousin's physical condition told him that Shisui was in very bad shape, his dark-colored clothes soaked through with blood, his chest and stomach perforated with numerous, deep, stab wounds from at least three different types of bladed weapons—tanto, ninjato, wakizashi—implying that the older male had likely faced off with numerous attackers skilled enough to take him down. The serious wounds that he sustained were horrifically graphic in nature, he had been carved into like a butchered animal and his vital points deliberately targeted and attacked by the lethal blades with methodical, precise artistry—those deadly strikes were not meant to just temporarily incapacitate, but to kill.

Itachi could see the hemorrhaging, perforated internal organs of his cousin through some of the larger tears in his mangled flesh, could see the off white of ribs under the crimson smears of blood and shredded muscle tissue, could hear the painful, desperate rattle of plasma-filled lungs as Shisui struggled to regulate his breathing, and even though this was not first time he had witnessed such extensive injuries on a person, had seen worse, _had inflicted worse,_ on his opponents on the battlefield, the younger Uchiha recognized the signs for what they were—his cousin would not likely survive his injuries.

Still, Itachi went quickly to Shisui's side, crouching by the older nin and automatically performing basic field first aid, keeping his hands busy as he tried his best to staunch the massive blood flow even as his mind struggled to accept the inevitable conclusion he had just reached. He had seen comrades die before, teammates falling to the blades of the enemies that they had failed to kill, some of the deaths mercifully quick and relatively painless, whereas others messy and excruciating. He had born the vacant gazes of deceased Leaf-nin, had endured the delirious, tortured cries of soon-to-be-departed colleagues, their injuries too far gone to be saved, but yet still lucid enough to scream feverishly for their loved ones till the very end, begging to see them if only for one last time. Nobody wanted to die on a mission, but Death was a lover that every reluctant ninja had no choice but to eventually embrace, and this time was no exception.

But this was Shisui, his cousin, the one whom he had always looked to as an older brother, whom he had respected and trusted, who understood him the most in their twisted, complicated family, and Itachi was nowhere near ready or prepared to see his goofy, idiotic relative brutally laid out like this, _dying_. That realization made him feel as if he had just been forced to swallow a lead ball whole and it was lodged in his gut, cold and heavy.

Shisui eyed the blank, stoic features of his clan's heir and smirked wearily. It just figured that Itachi would still look as impassive as always even now, unflappable and immovable as a mountain and always dependable in a crisis.

"Heh…I knew that you'd be the only one to find me," he rasped, flinching at the incredible effort it took just to speak. God, he hurt like a motherfucker.

His young cousin glanced at him briefly, something like regret and sadness flickering past his dark eyes, gone as quickly as it had appeared, before he looked down and returned his attention resolutely back to stabilizing his relative's swiftly deteriorating condition.

"Save your strength, Shisui," Itachi spoke quietly, steadily. "I will transport you to the hospital after I lessen the blood flow." His expression was deliberately schooled, showing no signs of panic or distress. This was not the first time he had performed triage and emergency first aid on a dying ally and it would not be the last; it was obscenely easy to fall back on his experience, stubbornly clutching onto his fraying composure as he forced himself to go through the motions with deathly calm, near mechanical exactness. His bloodstained hands shook faintly from the effort, but most importantly, Shisui did not notice the fine tremors.

Distantly, Itachi recalled the first time he witnessed a teammate fall from battle, the man's torso nearly severed at the waist from a deadly Fuuton jutsu; the Uchiha heir had been a rookie recruit following Hatake-taichou on a mission and he had watched as the silver-haired Captain remained calmly by the dying ANBU's side in the aftermath of the fierce skirmish, an unwavering source of quiet composure even as the rest of the team soundlessly waited for their comrade's demise, praying that the end would come quickly for the suffering nin. In the guise of keeping watch, the other masked warriors had avoided looking at the stark reminder of their own vulnerable humanity—so strong and invincible one moment, but easily snuffed out like a guttering flame the next—but Itachi had watched unflinchingly as his Captain soothed his dying subordinate in a strangely peaceful, assuring manner that was so completely foreign from their harsh, violent way of life. That ANBU had died soon enough, but Itachi had never forgot that experience.

"This is the only comfort we can offer," the legendary Inu of the ANBU forces had explained simply to Itachi at the end of the assignment. "If possible, no one should die alone and in fear, especially not one of our own."

Itachi understood that sentiment, and had tried to follow it to the best of his abilities. He had just never expected that he would have to practice it on his own cousin so soon.

Shisui shook his head slightly, his mouth smeared with the blood that he had coughed up. "Don't bother, kid," he muttered raggedly. "We both know that I'm not going to make it, and even if you do get me to the hospital in time, he probably already has people waiting there ready to take me out, so I'm a dead man either way."

There was only wry acceptance of his fate in the older Uchiha's tone; he had already come to terms with his own impending death in the time that he had been waiting here for Itachi and was inwardly finalizing his arrangements in preparation for it.

Itachi stilled completely, his eyes piercing his cousin's. "Who?" the raven-haired ANBU demanded in a harsh whisper, his hard voice belying the composure that he portrayed. "Who dares to… Elder Shimura. Is it him?"

Shisui grimaced. "I underestimated that old bastard," the badly wounded male gasped out, his already pale, perspiring face turning bone white as Itachi forcibly shoved a chunk of chakra into his body. It was a last resort attempt that usually did more harm than good, damaging the chakra coils of the recipient in return for temporarily boosting his lagging vitals, but Shisui was grateful for the briefly returning strength in his body once the agony started to ebb slightly. "Thanks," he coughed even as blood leaked out from the corner of his lips. "Danzo tried to take my eyes. I took exception to that. Tried to dope me with chakra suppressors, but still failed to get what he wanted. You should have seen the look on his face when I blasted my way out of his little hidey hole."

His eyes, or rather, the one that was still visible, glowed a raw crimson with their family bloodline, but the usual three tomoe that were suspended in the iris around the pupil were warped into a four pointed pinwheel instead, making it very obvious that this was no normal Sharingan. _Mangekyo_. Itachi had noticed the advanced form from the very beginning, but had chosen to ignore the unexpected discovery in favor of focusing on his relative's physical condition instead. The Uchiha stared at his older cousin.

"Those cursed eyes are more trouble than they are worth," the teen stately flatly at last, and Shisui had to crack a smile at that. Trust the kid to go straight to the heart of the matter, swiftly pointing out the crux of the issue. And it was that comment that sealed the older Uchiha's decision, assured him that he was making the right choice. Itachi would never abuse the power given to him, well too aware of the terrible costs that it would incur.

"Perhaps," the older male agreed gradually. "But I want you to develop the Mangekyo, Itachi, using me as your sacrifice."

The Uchiha heir stiffened.

"_No_." His reply was immediate and unflinching. "I do not want any part of that madness."

Shisui did not relent. "You may not want it, but you will need it," he insisted fiercely. "You have no choice in this matter; our enemies will come for us soon enough and you will need all the power you can get your hands on in order to face them."

"I can gain the strength that I need on my own," Itachi refuted stubbornly, and his older relative just shook his head. Time was quickly running out for him and he had to convince the younger Uchiha to agree to his intention before it was too late.

"I know that you can, Itachi, but do you have all the time in the world to do so? You don't!" Shisui rasped sharply, hissing as his harsh reply further aggravated his injuries. "You are a ninja; even if you hate it, even if you don't want it, you must put your own feelings aside and use every tool in your disposal to protect Konoha!"

Itachi flinched at the rebuke, his stoic persona wearing off slightly as he looked visibly pained. "Don't force me to do this, Shisui," the teen whispered at last, almost pleading.

"You don't have to do anything but watch," Shisui pointed out in return, deadly calm. "I'm already dying."

Itachi did not reply; the boy was quite obviously tense and slowly growing agitated.

"Activate your Sharingan," his cousin ordered then. Itachi closed his eyes and bowed his head, looking as though he would not heed Shisui's command. Then, the older nin sighed tiredly and tried again, using a softer approach this time. "Please, I have never asked anything of you before. You are the only one I trust with this responsibility."

That quiet tone proved to be Itachi's undoing, and against his better judgment, against his very being that was screaming at him not to do it, he wordlessly turned on his kekkei genkai at Shisui's request. The raven-haired ANBU Captain opened his eyes once more, and this time, his formerly onyx gaze blazed a stark crimson. His features blanked, and he forced himself to straighten slightly, silently accepting the inevitable.

"Don't beg, Shisui," Itachi spoke at last with a composure he did not entirely feel. "It does not become you."

In response, a small smirk formed on Shisui's bloodstained lips. "Arrogant brat," he rejoined with quiet, _grateful_ fondness, and even that small effort took a lot out of him. His breathing was harsh and rapid, every draw of air an act of agony that burned like liquid fire through his air passage and lungs, the wet, rattling sounds that accompanied his every inhalation and exhalation downright painful and unpleasant to hear. The two cousins fell into a brief silence; Itachi had done everything he could for Shisui, there was nothing else left to do but to wait, and that was the hardest part of all.

"You must be careful of Danzo. Be very wary around him," Shisui eventually spoke again with much difficulty, after he re-gathered his thoughts and willed the ever constant fog out of his mind. It was getting harder and harder to think; the pain of his body was a constant distraction and the severe blood loss was making everything feel fuzzy and surreal. His senses were beginning to dull and it was a constant struggle not to give in to the ever encroaching darkness that encircled his vision. "Don't underestimate him like I did, Itachi, or it will be the last thing you ever do."

Itachi responded to the warning with a short nod.

"My death," Shisui urged. "Use it…and every advantage…to curtail his plans. But don't…reveal your knowledge until the time is right. Guard yourself carefully, Itachi," he was panting and slurring slightly from the strain of speaking so rapidly, his blood-filled lungs barely able to absorb enough oxygen to support his failing speech and rapidly deteriorating organs. Numbness was setting in with a vengeance, his extremities had already lost all sense of feeling, and he was quickly moving onto the rambling stage. Shisui forced the words out of his mouth as quickly as he dared. "My eyes…I entrust to you, you will need them in time…use them to…protect…Konoha…"

His lone eye, the one not swollen shut, pinned Itachi's own crimson ones with a raw, fierce, desperation borne from the knowledge that he was dying and that he had to pass on his will so that it would live on. His shaking, blood smeared hand reached out to grab at the shirt front of the Uchiha heir with the last semblance of his fading strength. "Promise…Itachi. You will do it no matter what! Promise me!"

Itachi did not waver. He did not look away from the burning gaze of his older relative, he simply nodded once more. "I promise, Shisui," he vowed firmly but quietly. "I will dedicate my life to the protection and safety of our village and clan."

The steadfast affirmation seemed to assure the mortally injured nin. Itachi would never go back on his word. He relaxed his hold on Itachi to slump back against the wall, hacking roughly, turning his head to the side as he unceremoniously spat out a small glob of blood that had rushed up his throat. Through it all, Itachi watched silently, a steady, unflinching presence by his side that was strangely reassuring to Shisui as they both waited for Death to claim him. Most boys at Itachi's age would have been in a highly unstable, volatile state by now, horrified, visibly upset and thoroughly shaken, but the Uchiha heir did not react thusly. His young, stress-lined face looked like it was set in stone and he was completely stoic even though his crimson eyes showed his inner turmoil and mute sorrow.

It was Itachi's quiet compassion that easily set him apart from the rest of the Uchiha, and it was that same kindness, that thoughtful selflessness that made the teen remain staunchly at the side of his dying cousin, agreeing to fulfill each and every of his kin's last wishes and concealing his own grief and pain so that Shisui would not have to be burdened by him in his final moments.

It was the only comfort he could offer.

"I'm sorry, little cousin," the older Uchiha whispered at last, his voice nearly inaudible, his strength nearly depleted. Guilt and regret laced his words and expression even as he fought a losing battle against a body that was rapidly shutting down. "I wasn't strong enough. I wanted…to help…you more; we would rebuild the clan…together, but now…you are going to have to do it…alone."

The back of Itachi's eyes started to burn, prickling fiercely at the sight of Shisui's fading condition. It was beginning. He refused to even blink, to take his attention off the other Uchiha for even a single moment. His unwavering Sharingan recorded every minute of this exchange. Shisui continued to speak, forcing words out of his mouth by sheer willpower alone if nothing else, determined to say his piece before he could never do so again.

"But you know…what? I know you'd do…just fine even without me, kid. Never…give up, Itachi. Show me the…Konoha that we have always…dreamed about," Shisui's eye started to slip close, his eyesight long since gone, the agonized grimace that constantly occupied his expression slowly starting to ease off.

"_I will be watching, I promise…_"

There and then, Shisui's slow, ragged breathing faltered, stalled, and then just completely ceased. His cousin died with a small smile on his face, and despite his violent demise, had looked as if he had managed to shed all the pain and burdens of the mortal world, and was at peace.

For one short moment in time, Itachi felt as though he had stopped breathing as well, had died alongside Shisui. The teen stared at his recently deceased relative, now lying in a coagulating pool of his own life fluids, his body mangled and lifeless, nothing left there but an empty shell, a cooling corpse that was no different from the many others he had seen before. The older shinobi had been more than blood kin; he had also been a close friend, a good teacher, a trusted comrade—and now he was simply _gone_. Itachi was frozen, his face blank, and the pressure building in his eyes was overwhelming by now, throbbing and pulsating almost in synchrony with the grief he felt growing in his chest, and still kneeling at Shisui's side, he closed them and bowed his head, exhaling harshly, welcoming the pain that seemed to bloom behind his lids, as if a thousand needles were being jabbed into his eyeballs. The urge to claw madly at his hated, cursed, eyes was strong, to throw his head back and scream in impotent fury and pain, _he didn't want this, why must things happen this way, it was unfair_, but he bore through the turmoil stoically, silently biting his lips till they bled. The excruciating discomfort of the transition to Mangekyo served as fleeting distraction for his acute emotional distress, but could hardly compete with the intensity of his inner torment.

He did not know how long he had remained there in that small corner of the abandoned training ground, but eventually, even the physical pain started to ebb, and then became no more. His common sense firmly reasserted itself, forcibly reminding him of the pressing matters that required his immediate attention, cold, precise logic dictating that he had no time to waste lingering around mourning the selflessness of a nin whose true actions and cause of death only he would know. Nobody else would realize the magnitude of Shisui's silent sacrifice—it was the highest honor for most nin to die in battle for one's country, but his cousin would be denied even that small distinction.

For the sake of keeping his knowledge of Danzo's treachery a secret to be revealed only at the most opportune time, the true cause of Shisui's death could not be known, and would have to be doctored to indicate otherwise. The older nin had not been on a mission prior to the attack, so his extensive injuries would raise alarm amongst the Konoha-nin and prompt a deeper investigation which could not be allowed to come to pass. There was only one option left to Itachi, and as much as it hurt to dishonor the memory of the cousin he so greatly respected, it had to be done.

Itachi did not want to open his eyes, knowing full well that the moment he did, the world that he had once known would never be the same again. But he had no choice in the matter; even though his first instinct was to hide like a coward and try to pretend that everything was alright, he had obligations to fulfill, duties to perform and he could not shirk them. They weighed down on him irrepressibly, forcing him to deal with the situation, and after expelling a shuddering breath of air, he grabbed hold of them resolutely, centering himself with the determined focus of what he had to do.

Dark lashes slowly parted, revealing for the first time the unique design of his new irises. A three-pointed, sleekly stylized pinwheel, coldly elegant in its simplicity, had replaced the tomoe in his Sharingan, his pupils no longer black, but an angry, intense red, and due to the newly granted sense of advanced perception from the upgrade of his kekkei genkai, the world was unexpectedly _beautiful_ through his new eyes, the colors sharper and so much more vivid than he had ever thought possible, vibrant and _alive_.

Raw, untested potential burned, _raged_, in bloody, bladed crimson.

He felt sick to his stomach.

It wasn't supposed to be this way; he was not supposed to be rewarded with some new special abilities just by standing and watching the death of someone close to him, it was vile and degrading, and it felt as though his pain had just been made a mockery of. Dark, helpless anger festered in his being. His entire bloodline was wrong, _perverted_, and in the heat of the moment, a part of him felt like gouging out those eyes in his head in unthinking resentment, but his coldly practical instincts promptly checked his rash urges.

He would need the abilities of the Mangekyo eventually, and besides, it was the gift borne from Shisui's sacrifice, one of the two legacies that his cousin had passed to him, and he could never bring himself to destroy it no matter how much he was coming to abhor his bloodline limit, the sordid, despicable nature of its conception that had caused so much hatred, strife and needless bloodshed.

For Konoha. For Uchiha. And now, for Shisui as well. He would carry their ideals, their hopes, and carry on, because it was the only thing left that he could do, and he would persevere.

And right now, there was work to do.

Slipping soundlessly into his impartial, ANBU mindset, Itachi got to his feet almost mechanically and moved back a respectful distance from his cousin's body. There, he knelt back down onto the ground and swiftly adopted a formal, _seiza_ position, his pale face blank, his hands splayed on his thighs, the line of his spine unforgivingly straight, his posture perfect, every bit the Uchiha clan heir. Then, he performed the _dogeza_, moving his hands to the ground before him, fingers and palm pressed flat onto the dirt floor, his thumbs and index touching, forming the shape of the triangle in between. Stiffly, he bowed deeply at the waist, head lowered in deference until his nose touched the ground.

It was the ultimate form of respect that Itachi could offer, and the least that Shisui deserved.

The teenage Captain remained in the position for an entire minute, and then he straightened, his eyes fixed on the peaceful features of his relative. "Thank you for giving me yet another means to protect our village with," he uttered softly. "Rest, Shisui. I won't fail you in your expectations."

He proceeded to fulfill the first part of his promise with near clinical, methodical efficiency. His cousin's eyes were extracted and sealed away, and a powerful Genjutsu was cast over the body to conceal all signs of physical damage that the former had sustained in the fight with Danzo's men. The injuries on the eye sockets were made to look self-inflicted, as if Shisui had destroyed his Sharingan to prevent them from being stolen by outsiders, and Itachi forged a suicide note in exact replica of his deceased kin's handwriting, tucking the letter into Shisui's clothes to be found by whoever would discover the corpse. The blood and traces of other organic matter around them were promptly destroyed with a large, concentrated blast of Goukakyuu, and at last, the Uchiha heir silently transported his cousin to the bank of the Naka River, the sole member of this sad funeral cortege, and quietly, respectfully, slipped the limp unmoving body into the gently flowing waters.

The river currents started to carry away Shisui's corpse lazily, and through it all, the ANBU Captain watched until the body drifted out of his sight.

_It was done. _

He silently wept. For his cousin, for himself, for everything that had gone wrong.

Blood leaked from those accursed eyes.

_Tears of the sinned. Tears of the damned. _

* * *

Haruno Miharu leaned against the wall of her living room and absently sipped from the mug of tea on her hand as she watched her young daughter slave over the little square sheets of colored paper strewn all over their coffee table.

The pink-haired girl was entirely focused on her task, her small hands gently folding the origami paper, making absolutely sure that the edges were perfectly aligned, that every crease and every fold were as neat and as tidy as her eight year old self could manage it. She had suffered many a paper cut on those little fingers as a result of her painstaking meticulousness, but the end product made it all worth the pain in her opinion. The child had memorized the patterns of her art by now, and she patiently followed each step with unerring dedication, and slowly but surely, a delicate, beautiful paper crane came to life under her fingers. The little girl next checked it for any signs of imperfection, and when she saw none, she smiled softly at her handiwork, briefly admiring the harmoniously symmetrical shape of the tiny origami crane before carefully setting it aside with the rest of its brethren, all seven hundred and eighty nine of them.

There were only two hundred and eleven more to go, and then her little project would finally be completed.

Senbazuru. One thousand origami cranes.

Sakura had been hard at work folding those cranes for over a month now, dedicating every bit of spare time she had on those little pieces of paper, and it looked as if her labors would soon come to an end. Miharu still remembered the day she came home and saw her daughter sitting on the floor of their living room, surrounded by colorful origami paper and clumsily teaching herself how to fold paper cranes with the tiny instruction sheet that came with the paper set that she had bought with her humble weekly allowance. Surprised by her child's sudden interest in the origami art, the older Haruno had asked to know why Sakura had wanted to fold cranes.

The little girl told her mother that Ino-chan had recently shared with her the legend of the Senbazuru, of how anyone who folded a thousand paper cranes could have a wish granted by the mystical crane, and thus, she had wanted to do it as well. Miharu had also heard of the folklore before; there weren't many who hadn't, and pleasantly amused by her daughter's earnestness, she had proceeded to teach the little girl how to fold a perfect crane, showing the child the various little tricks to do so.

"Sakura, are you really sure you don't want my help?" Miharu offered not for the first time since that day over a month ago. Her daughter had been adamantly insistent on folding the thousand cranes by herself, and after she had gotten the hang of the pattern with a few test tries, she had gone on to do just that, completely undaunted by the challenging task that she had set out for herself to accomplish. Miharu had just smiled and allowed her daughter to do as she pleased, half expecting that the child would lose interest in her project midway like most children tended to do once the novelty of it wore off, but now it seemed that the pink-haired girl was going to get her Senbazuru done, after all.

Sakura reached for another piece of origami paper and started to fold, at the same time shaking her head in negative reply in response to her mother's offer. "No, mama," the little girl answered even as her fingers carefully and steadily pressed the colored paper into perfect geometrical shapes and designs, dutifully following the steps that would eventually lead to her seven hundred and ninetieth crane. "I must do them all by myself, or they won't count."

Her little girl was as serious and as conscientious as ever, and Miharu hid her smile behind yet another sip of her tea. Mother watched child for another short moment, and then she asked. "What wish are you going to make, Sakura?"

The pink-haired eight year old paused slightly at the question, and then she shook her head, raising her head to glance briefly at her mother. "I'm not going to make the wish, Kaa-san," the little girl divulged honestly.

A blonde eyebrow swept up at the unexpected reply. "You don't want the wish?" Miharu asked.

The child nodded quickly, then thought about her reply and shook her head once more. She scrunched her nose slightly, momentarily confused by the ambiguity of her own answers. Miharu's small smile widened a tad at her daughter's actions. Sakura promptly caught her mother in the act. "Mama, you are teasing me!" the little girl accused with a small huff, pausing briefly from her origami folding to scowl cutely at her softly laughing parent. Miharu shook her head in surrender and pushed away from the wall to approach her daughter, setting the mug aside and lowering herself to sit on the floor beside the young girl. The older Haruno drew an arm around her daughter and pulled the child to her in a loose hug, planting a smiling kiss on the child's cheek.

"Hush, my little one, I didn't mean to make fun of you," Miharu soothed lovingly. Sakura clearly accepted the apology, for the pink-haired girl snuggled briefly into her mother's warm embrace with no complaints. "Well, if you are not going to use the wish, I take it you are going to let someone else have it instead?"

Unsurprisingly, her daughter nodded enthusiastically against her. "Yup!"

The beautiful blonde woman smiled. She had a good guess just who would be the lucky recipient to Sakura's dedication.

"Hmm, someone precious?" Miharu teased gently. Once again, her daughter, much too young to experience shyness over such matters, nodded again.

"Yup!" The child reiterated firmly, and before Miharu could continue her guessing game, Sakura gave her an answer. "I'm going to give the Senbazuru to Itachi-kun!"

"Oh?" Miharu feigned surprise. "Him? Why?"

At her question, Sakura stared at her mother in a manner as if surprised that she even had to ask. "Because I really, really want Itachi-kun to be happy, that's why! Itachi-kun always looks so sad, so I want to share some of my happiness with him!" It sounded completely logical to the young girl, and she nodded decisively to herself and continued to declare earnestly. "I am happy to be Haruno Sakura; I have my Kaa-san, I have Ino-chan, Naruto, Sasuke, and I have Itachi-kun as well. I'm really happy with what I have. I don't need that wish, but Itachi-kun needs it more, so I will give it to him instead. He can wish for anything he wants and be happy again. That will be nice, right, Kaa-san?"

It was such an innocent, idealistic notion that only a pure hearted child could make, and Sakura was smiling hopefully at her mother as she said it. Miharu felt very proud of her little girl, and she quickly showed it by hugging the child tightly to herself once more, exaggeratedly placing another loud kiss on her forehead. Sakura erupted in giggles, and her mother rested her chin on the top of her daughter's head. "Shiawase, huh? Sweetie, I think Itachi-kun will be very happy to receive your gift."

Inwardly, Miharu wondered if this was a sign of what was to come in the future. After all, the creation of a thousand paper cranes was also a powerful symbol of love and dedication, and although her little Sakura was still years too young to be professing such sentiments to a member of the opposite gender, the fact that she had chosen to present the Senbazuru to Itachi-kun already spoke for itself, really.

Of all the boys she knew, Sakura had still instinctively gravitated to the Uchiha heir, and it seemed that the bond between the two of was going to grow even stronger as they grew older. Miharu still did not know if that was a good thing or not. If her child really did end up together with the powerful and talented ANBU in the future, then the road ahead for her daughter was going to be tough and fraught with difficulties at every turn. But…

Something told Miharu that Sakura would find all the sacrifices worth it in the end, in the pursuit of her own happiness.

"Mama?" Sakura asked then, tilting her head up slightly to look at her pensive parent. Her mother's violet eyes were distant and faraway, and the insightful pink-haired child recognized that look. It was the same expression the older Haruno wore whenever Sakura asked about her Otou-san. "Are you happy too? Shall I make you the Senbazuru as well?"

Miharu glanced down at her pride and joy. Sakura looked so concerned then, and the beautiful blonde shook her head slightly and lovingly sifted her fingers through her baby's fine, silk spun pink hair. "Don't be silly, my dear," Miharu spoke tenderly to her only child, whose bright emerald eyes was the exact same color as that of her father's. Like their daughter, he had always been extremely astute and perceptive as well. "I have been lucky; I have you in my life, Sakura. I'm very, _very_ happy." Miharu dropped another kiss, this time on the top of Sakura's head. "Thank you for being my daughter, little one. Always remember that your Kaa-san loves you very much no matter what happens, alright?"

Sakura stared at her mother with those large doe eyes of hers, and then she hugged the older female tightly with her skinny arms and cuddled right into her embrace. "I love you too, mama. Thank you for being my Mother."

Miharu was content at that moment. It was rare that mother and daughter had time to spend together like this. She continued to stroke her child's hair and briefly allowed the girl to curl up next to her, separating only when she noticed the shallow, untreated paper cuts that Sakura had sustained most recently. She nudged at the eight year old, gently fingering Sakura's hands. "Well, let's get these wounds cleaned up first. We will put plasters on them after you are done folding your cranes. It'd be harder for you to do so if I apply the Band-Aids now, hm?" Sakura nodded in agreement, and Miharu got to her feet and coaxed her daughter to do so as well.

"Mama, can you help me string the cranes together later?" Sakura asked as she followed her mother into the kitchenette.

"Of course, my dear."

* * *

One week later, the pink-haired eight year old shyly presented the fruits of her labor to her friend.

Six weeks' worth of painstaking effort and dedication had gone into the creation of the forty strings of multi-colored paper cranes that had been arranged in progressive shades of the rainbow, their individual length nearly as tall as her height, the exquisite, delicate origami birds flowing like a beautiful waterfall of colors from the small, clenched hand of the young girl who had poured so much of her time and heart into making them, and she gently extended her arm out towards the raven-haired Uchiha, wordlessly asking that he accept her small offering.

"It's for you," she told him with a bright, hopeful smile, her large green eyes running carefully over his pale, distant features, the happy excitement she got from the joy of giving dimming slightly with anxiety at his blank, remote expression. Sakura had tried her best to pretend otherwise, but it seemed to her that the boy whom she had known since the age of four was slowly changing before her eyes—becoming colder, _emptier_—in a way that she did not quite understand, but still it was enough to worry her and make her afraid—_not of him, never of him_, but afraid that if he continued to be this way, then something bad would really happen to him, and she didn't want that for her most precious friend.

She wanted to help, she had always wanted so badly to help, but she didn't know what to do, how to tell him that she was willing to do anything for him if only he'd teach her. She knew that she was only a silly little girl, still too young and not very strong, even the sensei in the Academy had said so, but she would try her best to improve herself and get better—not become so weak—if that was what she had to do. She had wanted to be a ninja because she had wanted to be like Itachi-kun in the first place, to be able to help and protect people in need, but this road that she had chosen for herself had not been an easy one to follow. Despite her excellent bookwork and memorization skills, she was terrible when it came to improving her physical abilities; the basic Academy taijutsu that the instructors had recently began to teach in school was very difficult for her to learn even as her classmates seemed to pick it up easily enough, and running laps around the school field took so much out of her since her stamina was practically nonexistent. It was hard; learning to become a ninja was very hard, but…

But if it was for the sake of those she cared about, then the young girl decided that perhaps she could do it. No matter how difficult it would get, as long as she was needed, then she would grit her teeth and tough it out; she would never give up.

The Senbazuru was just a small start—it was not much and it was all she could do for him now—but maybe, just maybe, if Itachi-kun felt that she was useful enough, then perhaps he would let her in on his secrets, then she would know why he was always so unhappy, and she could finally know what she had to do in order to be able to help him. She had watched her friend over the years, paying close attention to him the most out of the rest because unlike Naruto who liked to yell a lot and Sasuke who was always quite grumpily obvious about his dislikes, the older boy was always so quiet and _gentle_, and therefore she had to make the extra effort to understand him better. Even though Itachi-kun didn't speak much and he also wasn't very expressive, Sakura had learned to read him through his eyes. Those obsidian depths often revealed his feelings, sometimes showing so much sadness that Sakura didn't understand why no one else would see it and help him.

Lately though, even that was changing, and that worried her greatly. It was becoming harder for her to 'see' him, if that was the correct way to describe what was happening. Sakura didn't know how to properly explain her growing unease, but it felt as if Itachi-kun was slowly being encased in ice, becoming so emotionless and frozen, _pulling away_, and the astute young girl was inexplicably afraid that one day, he would be so far gone that she would never be able to find him again and he would never come back. That possibility scared Sakura like nothing else could, and as such, she was determined to do whatever she had to in order to stop that before it could happen.

Meanwhile, Itachi stared blankly at the paper cranes that hung off the eight year old's fingers. The tiny origami birds cascaded to the floor in a river of bright, optimistic colors, each one perfectly formed and hinted at the amount of care and effort that had been poured into their creation. The meticulous attention to detail was obvious; even with a brief glance, it was plain to see that the edges were precise and every fold flawlessly in place. There had to be hundreds of the paper cranes in the young girl's hand, and he could only guess how long it must have taken to make so many of them.

He didn't understand why she was giving these to him.

Dark onyx eyes flickered to meet slightly anxious verdant ones. It seemed that he had taken too long to respond to the offer of her gift, and his ensuing silence had made her uneasy. He made an effort to rectify his oversight.

"…Did you make them yourself?" he asked at last.

Sakura nodded. "I did! Kaa-san helped me string them together though. I made them for you," she replied almost shyly towards the end. She looked at him carefully, and then firmly pushed the results of her hard work towards him once more. "Take them, please? Ino-chan said that they are very powerful lucky charms, and I want you to have them, and the wish as well."

His hand, which had lifted slowly, curiously, to receive her unusual present, paused at her strange remark. "Wish?"

She nodded once more, responding to his obvious incomprehension. "Whoever folds one thousand paper cranes will get a wish granted to them; that's the legend of the Senbazuru!" the pink-haired child explained to her friend with complete faith in her young voice. "I folded the cranes so that I can give you the wish, Itachi-kun, so please accept them!" This time, Sakura grabbed Itachi's hand with her own smaller one and made him take the origami birds, and the Uchiha heir automatically closed his fingers around the threads. He did not appear to register what he had done because he was quietly stunned by the girl's unexpected admission.

Sakura was not fazed, however. Her eyes brightened with hope when she saw the brief surprise that flitted past his previously closed off, remote expression. "Why?" he demanded abruptly, almost harshly, his gaze falling to land upon the plasters that were wrapped around the tips of her fingers. Sakura quickly noticed what he was looking at and hurriedly hid her hands behind her back self-consciously. When his eyes met hers again, they were utterly focused and intent, no longer detached and impassive like before. The eight year old girl was understandably nervous and a bit startled by the sudden attention, and she bit her lower lip with slight distress. Itachi-kun had never taken that type of tone with her before. Had she done something wrong?

A part of her was slightly hurt, but in the end, the child still chose to forge on bravely. "I- I just wanted to help you, Itachi-kun," she stammered. "But I don't know what else to do! I- I don't want to watch you be sad anymore!"

The pink-haired girl's impassioned outburst caused the Uchiha heir to freeze in his tracks, but Sakura was not done yet. She lowered her head slightly then, her eyes shadowed and upset. "It makes me sad too," Sakura whispered softly. "You… Don't…hide." His eyes widened imperceptibly in shock. "Don't keep quiet and just…_hurt_ alone. I want- I really want to help. I- I'd do anything!"

She continued to look at the floor, unwilling to lift her head to look at the older boy's reaction to her starkly honest admission. Sakura felt her eyes start to water slightly, but the child stubbornly clenched her hands into fists behind her back and refused to cry. It bothered her greatly that she could not do anything else, but she was still trying her best to support her most cherished friend in the only way that she knew how.

Itachi stared at the bowed head of the young girl before him. The teen was struck speechless by the sincerity and earnestness of Sakura's declaration. Her determination to reach out to him made something deep inside him twist with sharp discomfort, forced him to _feel_ emotions even when he had deliberately sealed them after Shisui's death, that he had attempted to ignore and drown under an endless sea of ice in a desperate, last ditch effort to protect himself, _to remain sane_. But with Sakura's heartfelt and unpretentious entreaty, they broke through the barriers that he had deliberately erected to keep them at bay, stirring within him with roiling restlessness, leaving him no choice but to acknowledge their existence once more. The ANBU Captain dropped his gaze to the one thousand paper cranes that he now held in his hand; each and every one had been folded for his sake, and even though it was such a naïve sentiment, one borne from the innocence and blind faith of childhood, he was both unwilling and unable to callously dismiss the efforts of the pink-haired girl who had bled and tried to give all she could for him.

Tentatively, he examined his volatile, highly unstable feelings, and he was promptly stunned by his discovery. The overwhelming grief and guilt that had accompanied him unerring for the past few weeks, while still present, did not feel as suffocating or persistent as he had thought they would be, now overtaken by something else that was so much more powerful, and because he rarely had the opportunity to feel this way, was all the more precious and wonderful to him_._

Itachi drew a sharp breath, looking faintly astounded.

Warmth. His chest _burned_ with it.

Like always, the icy numbness growing within him easily gave way to the positive emotions that Sakura had wrought in him. There was just something about the pink-haired girl that urged him to respond to her, and this time was no different. Itachi still could not tell if the strange connection they shared was a good thing or not, but by now, it was obviously too late to reverse it. Whether intentional or not, he had fostered this bond between them for years already, instinctively gravitating to her, and just as she seemed to care for him, he was also similarly emotionally invested in her. She had never failed to bring him peace and comfort even as he had always watched over her, centering and calming him with her presence even when his life happened to be a complete mess. Just as he could not ignore her even when she was only a four year old child, he could not do so now, when she was the only respite he allowed himself to have.

It was obvious; even with his new responsibilities as apprentice, even with the added pressure of training with the Mangekyo, his heart and will faltering under the strain of his emotional turmoil—knowing full well that he was undeserving—he was still unable to _let go_. But it seemed that he wouldn't have to, after all. The little girl who had chosen him just as surely as he had her would never allow it.

Right now, she was still not looking at him, but that was alright. Slowly, Itachi crouched down before the shorter child and carefully reached out to her with his hand. His fingers ghosted lightly down the line of her jaw and then he gently gripped her chin between his thumb and index finger, tilting her face up so that he could look at her. Those large, doe-like eyes of her met his reluctantly, swimming with unshed tears, her small mouth trembling with upset, but for some reason, as he looked at her innocent, girlish features, the rest of his agitation faded away, the hard, unbearable tension coiling within him relaxed inexplicably, allowing him to breathe properly once more.

It was going to be alright; something within him—instincts and growing understanding, perhaps—assured with quiet conviction. As long as he was here, in Konoha, as long as he remained grounded, never lost sight of his goals and promises, it would be alright.

A peaceful calmness slowly filtered across his senses, followed by a feeling of wry affection towards the young girl standing before him, who was once again crying on his behalf. It was quickly becoming an alarming occurrence between them. "Don't cry," he told her softly then, and not for the first time. "I like your present. You must have worked very hard. Thank you."

At his astute, understanding comment, the waterworks really started flowing with a vengeance then, and without hesitation, she reached for him, curled her arms around his neck, and quietly bawled into his shoulder. He let the strings of origami birds fall soundlessly onto the floor as he automatically wrapped his own arms around her smaller frame. Her hands clenched tightly onto the fabric of his shirt and he patiently allowed her to cry for awhile, carefully petting her soft pink hair as she did so. She eventually cried herself dry, the tears stopping and the sniffles abating, and at last the embarrassed child pulled away from him slightly, looking ashamed of herself.

"Sorry," she apologized dejectedly. "Kaa-san always says that I'm such a crybaby."

He looked at her; her nose red from crying, her startlingly long eyelashes wet with tears. An unusually whimsical thought occurred to him then, that the child looked strangely attention catching like that. "Everyone cries," he merely told her, and in response, she tilted her head slightly to stare at him, mild curiosity creeping into her lush verdant eyes.

"Even you, Itachi-kun?" she asked.

He thought about the last time he cried, that day where he had paid the steep price in exchange for the Mangekyo, the memory still fresh in his mind, and once again, he felt the lump in his throat start to grow, his insides coalescing to ice. "Yes," he replied quietly. "Even me."

Something in his gaze must have alerted her to his growing melancholy, for she instinctively raised her fingers to touch his pallid, strained face, carefully tracing the heavy lines of stress under his eyes. Then, much to his surprise, she leaned in unexpectedly and carefully kissed the back of his eyelids, one after the other, before pulling back once more, looking at him shyly. He stiffened slightly, stunned. He was not used to such physical contact, and as such, the imprint of her warm lips pressed against his skin lingered acutely on his senses.

"I hope you feel better," she told him with innocent candor. "Kaa-san always gives me kisses when I'm sad. That always makes me happy, because when somebody kisses you, it means that they love and care for you, and that you will never be alone."

His eyes widened imperceptibly at her forthright admission. How was it possible that this young girl was always able to say and do things that never failed to raise his spirits? It was almost eerie, her level of empathy and understanding when it came to his own chaotic, tormented feelings, and by all rights, he should be very wary of her, but he was reluctant to do so since she never failed to soothe him, and he craved that rare sensation of peace that came with her with a near desperate fervor. The Uchiha closed his eyes, warring briefly with indecision before he swiftly made up his mind and tightened his arms around Sakura, tugging her near once more and wordlessly burying his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her familiar, beloved scent and relishing in her wondrous company. If Sakura was surprised by his action, she did not show it. Instead, the little girl hugged him back with reciprocating affection, and he was struck by a fierce sense of realization and resolve, that this precious child was his to protect, and he would never want to let her go.

Her very being was comforting to him, reminding him of hope and warmth, and with her, he did not have to be the noble Uchiha heir, the powerful ANBU Captain, or even the child prodigy. He could just be Itachi, an ordinary thirteen year old boy, and the troubles that constantly plagued him, the never ending duties that he had to shoulder, did not seem as pressing or as suffocating when he was around her. As such, he was reluctant to let her go, as inappropriate as his action was, but he forced himself to release her a short moment later, this saving grace of his. Sitting back on his haunches, his expression was still composed as ever; there was no awkwardness or embarrassment whatsoever in his demeanor, just a complete understanding that he would do whatever it took to keep this girl. He looked at her straight in the eye. "Will you stay?" he asked shortly, and when she did not look like she understood, he proceeded to amend his question. "Are you willing to do whatever it takes to remain by my side?"

This time, Sakura did not hesitate. She nodded firmly, determination glowing in her young eyes.

"Then, you must become strong," he told her with little preamble, and she looked at him quizzically. "I cannot afford to be bonded to weakness," he told her bluntly. "If you want to stay with me, you must keep training and grow strong."

Sakura knew that her friend was a member of the ANBU forces, where only the strongest and most powerful ninjas in the village were recruited to protect Konoha. Itachi-kun was also from the well-known Uchiha clan who was in charge of the Konoha Military Police; he was the oldest son of the clan head and would one day have to be the leader of his family as well. Itachi-kun was a very important person. In that manner of thinking, it made sense that his friends must be useful to him, be powerful themselves as well.

"You must be at least good enough to protect yourself," he informed her firmly. "Because I have enemies and I may not always be able to protect you from them."

Her eyes lit up with understanding. He wanted her to be strong for herself, and that she could do. She nodded willingly once more. "I will do it! I will train and work hard so that I will become strong and you won't have to worry about me anymore, Itachi-kun!" she swore earnestly before pausing briefly to ask hesitantly, "Will you…help me train sometimes? A bit?"

It was apparent that she was not uneager to learn, but due to her civilian background, just lacked the appropriate materials and direction to do so. He inclined his head in agreement, and immediately, a smile blossomed on her face. "I'm glad! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Itachi-kun! I promise I won't let you down!" the young girl rushed out in her excitement, impulsively hugging her friend once more. She pulled back and looked at him earnestly. "Wait for me, Itachi-kun! One day, I will be strong enough to fight beside you, so you won't have to do it alone anymore, okay?"

Once again, she surprised him with her sincerity, and this time around, his heart skipped a beat. If he was a lesser person, her bold, selfless avowal would have caused his face to suffuse with color, never mind that she was only an eight year old at the moment—such was the undeniable effect that she had on him, even though he didn't understand why, didn't understand how. As it was, his previously distant, impassive obsidian eyes had sharpened, were now utterly focused on her, mesmerized by her conviction and the strength and purity of her heart.

An indescribable expression flitted across his face then, as he studied the innocently determined features of the young girl who had as much as declared that she would link her future to his own from now onwards. He was compelled to respond to her offer, and at last, he did so by gently fingering her cheek and then leaning in slightly towards her to place an awkwardly chaste kiss on her forehead. The exchange was purely instinctive, one borne of budding affection, and his onyx eyes were quietly watchful and pensive when he slowly drew back, whereas hers were wide and filled with wonder, and a smallest tint of rose sat high on her cheeks.

"Itachi-kun…" Sakura breathed in surprise, and in response, his gaze softened briefly.

"Your promise, I shall look forward to it," the raven-haired Uchiha replied solemnly at last, and the pink-haired girl beamed at her friend. The child remembered her present then, and she hurriedly blurted out.

"Itachi-kun! The Senbazuru; you mustn't waste it. Make the wish, okay?" She sounded so earnest and happy on his behalf, but quickly turned quizzical when he shook his head once. A part of him was tempted to bluntly tell her that wishes do not come true just because one willed it to be, but the joy in her eyes and the innocent naiveté in her aura actively prevented him from doing so. It was pure selfishness on his part, but he did not want to be the one to destroy this sweetly guileless part of her, to intentionally dim the brightness of her soul that was so rare and precious in his world. Still, he was unable to lie to her completely, trusting that she would understand.

"That wish is not mine to make, Sakura," he told her, answering her unasked question. Instead of telling her the harsh truth, he amended his reply subtly. "Wishes may only come true if you work hard to make them happen," he explained even as he inwardly thought, _and sometimes they won't happen at all no matter how hard you try_.

He looked at her steadily and continued. "You folded these cranes. Therefore, the wish is yours."

Sakura looked frankly bewildered by the turn of events. She had not expected the wish to be returned to her, but as always, Itachi-kun was completely logical about everything.

"But I wanted to give the wish to you…" she drifted off towards the end, before her brow furrowed slightly and she carefully considered the situation. The young girl was smart, and it didn't take long for her to figure out a loophole on her own as well. "Uhmm…Itachi-kun, in that case, if I use the wish, will you help me make it come true?" the pink-haired child asked carefully at last.

The Uchiha prodigy stared at the expectant gaze of the young girl. There was such trust and belief in him shining in those emerald depths, and she really didn't need to ask; for everything that she had done for him, the comfort and peace that she brought him, he would only be too willing to reciprocate. The young ANBU Captain nodded subtly.

"I will try my best," he promised quietly.

The sweet, joyous smile that wreathed her dainty, heart-shaped features was impossible to miss. A soft, affectionate expression crept into her large doe-like eyes then, for the shortest of moments, displaying such shy _tenderness_ as she looked to him, and his breath caught briefly in his throat when, _just for a split second_, he glimpsed of the kind, beautiful woman that this girl would one day grow to become.

He stilled momentarily, his eyes locked firmly onto her. Sakura did not seem to find her friend's intent perusal of her particularly intimidating, though.

"Itachi-kun, I made the Senbazuru for you, even if you cannot make the wish." She paused then, looking a bit hesitant. "Uhmm… So is it okay if…" She shook her head and tried again, biting her lips in a mildly indecisive manner before she quickly made up her mind and bravely blurted out. "Can I wish for your…happiness…instead?"

She was looking so hopefully at him, as if he was the one who would be doing her a favor instead of the other way around. The tightness in his chest returned with a vengeance, and faintly, Itachi wondered if he was falling sick. His mouth was strangely dry and he had to make an effort to speak.

"You don't have to do that, Sakura," he started carefully, but the little girl merely smiled honestly at him and replied.

"I know, Itachi-kun, but I want to!" she chirped with cheerful, guileless appeal. "It makes me happy to see you happy, and I promise I will work hard to make this wish come true as well!"

This time, the unguarded expression on his face grew undeniably gentle. The look in his eyes warmed further the longer he remained in the presence of this sweet-natured, pink-haired girl, and there and then, Itachi silently conceded defeat to this precocious child. A liberating, newfound sense of lightness gradually encompassed his very being, and for the very first time since Shisui's passing, Itachi started to feel more hopeful about the future, more buoyant, slowly but surely starting to let go of his grief and regrets.

His cousin was wrong; he would never be alone. Sakura would not let him, and he had no intention whatsoever to push her away as well.

After all…if this precious, sunshine girl continued to remain by his side, then perhaps one day, happiness might be within his reach too.

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_::tsuzuku::_

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**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Uhm…yeah.

I'm not sure how many of you are still actively following this story, but I'm pretty sure that after reading this chapter, most of you will either be loving me or hating me right now. You know, in the 'severely torn between throttling me hard or throttling me even harder' kind of way – especially if you guys have been paying attention to the completion date of this chapter.

I have no excuses beyond the usual 'Kishimoto is not being very inspiring lately' and the 'my muse abruptly jumped ship to another fandom and hauled me along for the ride,' but I really apologize for leaving you guys in the dark for the past year or so. The good news is I have sort of completed the long ass fic that I have been writing for the other aforementioned fandom, and therefore will more or less be back in business on the Naruto front. As I have mentioned before, I have no intention to discontinue any of my uncompleted fics. I will finish them all…eventually.

Not sure when, though, that's the problem. But yes. Eventually.

Sorry, guys, please don't cry. I know I'm really very bad at updating, but I will at least try to make an effort not to take years just to pop out one chapter.

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This is probably not the place to mention this, but to all the concerned readers who were wondering what happened to my GaaSaku novella 'Sweetheart,' it happened to be the only casualty out of my sixty plus fics on FF Net to be taken down during the Great M-Rated Story Purge sometime last year, due to the fact that there happened to have the term 'bitch' written on the summary of Sweetheart, and was therefore incompliant with FF Net's rules and regulations. It was pretty funny (and severely aggravating at the same time), because I was legitimately referring to a female dog in the summary (as opposed to the female human version), but FF Net was not amused all the same and my fic was unceremoniously deleted. Not going to lie; I was extremely unhappy with the unfair course of action (there had no warning given whatsoever, just termination and an abrupt, curt notice), and that just completely took all the wind out of my sails, along with all of my interest in putting anything else up on this account.

Long story short, you guys can credit my complete lack of updates last year to the wonderful admins of FF Net.

Sorry that you folks had to suffer; I take my writing very seriously and can get irrationally irritated when people messes with it for no good reason whatsoever.

On the positive side, I backup all of my works consistently, so the master copy of Sweetheart is still sitting nice and safe in my hard drive, and now that I intend to be more active on this account once again, I will be cleaning up that fic before reposting it in the near future, so please do look out for it.

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Next, onto the chapter notes proper.

Shisui had to die.

I was reluctant to do it because I don't really like writing death fics (this was my first _succeeded_ attempt, by the way), but his passing is pivotal in the grand scheme of things. Beyond the obvious Mangekyo Sharingan that Itachi gained from his cousin, Shisui's death also completely drives home the point that the enemies are not only coming from the outside, but also exist within Konoha as well. This is something that Itachi needed to be fully aware of, and this hard lesson gleaned at the expense of his cousin's demise he will never forget.

I have to sheepishly admit that I haven't read the Naruto manga for a very long time now, and usually only pop over to the Narutopedia for some quick catching up if I require information on the various characters and the current events in Naruto-verse. I still hold a deep affection for the characters of Naruto even though its plot has long since lost its allure to me, so I can no longer be sure that what I write is exactly compliant to the manga-verse.

Still, I'm pretty certain that Shisui's death wasn't very much elaborated upon in the manga, and so I took the liberty of adding some details on my own. In canon-verse, how exactly Itachi got his own Mangekyo from Shisui's death was very much left to the reader's imagination, but I thought it would make sense that since Shisui was already badly wounded and dying from Danzo's assault, all Itachi had left to do was to watch his cousin die. That was pretty much how Sasuke gained his own Mangekyo, after all; it was true that he had fought his older brother to a standstill, but in the end, Itachi had succumbed to his illness before Sasuke could land the killing stroke, and Sasuke had still received the Kaleidoscope Copy Wheel Eye.

The aftermath of Shisui's death was also purely conjecture on my part. For those who are curious, the _seiza_ is a traditional formal way of sitting in Japan. It involves kneeling on the floor, folding one's legs underneath their thighs and then resting the buttocks on the heels. From there, the _dogeza_ can be performed. The _dogeza_ is a very deep bow (literally prostrating oneself with the forehead pressed to the ground) used to show deference to a highly revered person, to express deep apology and/or to express a desire for a favor from a person. I'm not very sure if this sort of bowing is common in Japanese traditional funerary rituals, but in this instance, it just seemed fitting for Itachi to pay his final respects to his cousin in such a manner, in acknowledgement of Shisui's unsung sacrifice.

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I'm not very certain of Itachi's personal opinion when it comes to the matter of his clan's bloody tradition and custom of obtaining the Mangekyo (and subsequently the Eternal Mangekyo) but I can't imagine that he must have been particularly supportive of the practice. At least, that is so for CP-verse Itachi. He didn't want anything to do with the Mangekyo until Shisui stonewalled him into it, and now those eyes are yet another reminder of the heavy burdens that he has to bear.

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For those who missed the memo in the chapter proper, just be reminded that Danzo failed to get his hands on either of Shisui's eyes. This is a slight deviation from the manga, but rest assured that I have my own plans for those eyes.

Great…now I sound like a necrophiliac, body part snatching evil mastermind.

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Question, does this chapter count as an angsty one? If so, it wasn't intentional, but I suppose the subject of death can be pretty sobering. For some reason or another, the tone of CP keeps getting darker and darker without my express consent. I like happy, funny things, dammit. I don't even know where all these angst is coming from.

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Do keep in mind that there exists a gradual time progression in this chapter itself. There is a time difference of weeks, at least a month, actually, between the first part (Shisui's death) and the second (Itachi's encounter with Sakura), so no, Itachi did not immediately pop Shisui into the river, and then go off and receive huggles from Sakura and instantaneously, miraculously recover from his grief. Just to be clear, Sakura's meeting with Itachi in this chapter takes place after a significant amount of time had passed since Shisui's demise.

I was actually tempted to split this chapter in two to avoid this confusion, but I didn't want to end it on such a dark, angsty note, so you guys will just have to suck it up and deal with this ridiculously long chapter.

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The Senbazuru literally means 'a thousand origami cranes.' According to Wikipedia, there is an ancient Japanese legend that promises that anyone who folds a thousand paper cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. The Senbazuru is also seen as powerful and benevolent good luck charm, as the crane in Japan is regarded as a mystical creature that can live for a thousand years. It is also a symbol for world peace, and besides that, is sometimes given as a wedding gift to couples with a wish for a thousand years of prosperity and happiness. Sometimes, couples themselves will also fold the thousand cranes together as a symbol of their enduring love and dedication to each other – so the Senbazuru can be regarded as a powerful token of affection as well.

In light of all the positive connotations to the Senbazuru, I thought that it would be quite fitting for Sakura to present such a precious gift to Itachi. Obviously not for the romantic aspect (that part will _not_ be coming into play until quite a bit later), but I think poor Itachi deserves some happiness, and as a pacifist, the promise of peace as well, yes?

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So. This is the chapter where they have officially/finally gotten around to kissing each other (technically). If that scene have been somewhat uncomfortable for some of you to read, do keep in mind that their actions are not borne from romantic love (not yet, at the very least), but more from an affectionate, platonic one that had been built on trust resulted from years of empathetic friendship.

I'm sure that by now, most of you would have already noticed that Itachi is a lot less stoic and more demonstrative in Sakura's presence – this is hugely deliberate. He has been letting his guard down around her since the age of nine, way before he was molded into a hardened ANBU elite, subsequently discovered the dark secrets of his clan and also the burdens he had to carry, and whereas he is very good at concealing his thoughts and emotions now, he will still tend to be more expressive and open before his childhood friend.

Of course, this is also partly because Sakura is able to read him easily even with his impassive mask on, or rather, she has already long since found a way to burrow deep into his psyche even before he had learned to properly build a defense to keep her out, and will be there to stay for a long, long time.

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And yes, Itachi is beginning to _notice_ Sakura, in a very vague manner of speaking. It is a really minute, dawning awareness, and even though she is only eight, keep in mind that he is already thirteen, considered an adult in ninja terms, and in the midst of puberty. I think it is quite realistic and reasonable for Itachi to slowly start to pay attention to what his heart is telling him. After all, if canon-verse Naruto can develop a monumental crush on his teammate Sakura at age thirteen, I don't see why the same thing would be impossible for Itachi.

Of course, that is not to say that Itachi will be crushing on the little girl five years his junior _right away_ (because that is just impossible and more than a bit disturbing), merely a hint that the events that had transpired in this chapter will slowly begin to ease open the possibility of what will come in the eventual future (say, seven, eight years down the road).

I really hope my explanation clears things up; long story short, Itachi is not a pedophile and I have no intention to turn him into one in the entirety of CP-verse.

Hmm, how do I further explain this; let's just say that there exists a boy whose soul mate happens to be significantly younger than he is, but he is patient, and if need be, he will wait until Kingdom Come for her to be ready, alright?

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Next, for those who are curious, 'shiawase' basically means 'happiness' in Japanese.

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Last but not least, I have a tumblr account, guys! It has the same handle as my FF Net account, paws_bells, so come find me if you want to interact with me or ask questions. I'm more active there compared to on Facebook, not to mention I do not have a backlog of a gazillion unanswered messages to wade through over there so I will more likely be able to get back to you in swift and prompt manner.

As always, thanks for reading and liking this fic. Just so you all know, all your encouraging reviews and feedback were what eventually convinced me to return to this fandom once more. Thanks again, guys! I'm happy to be back!

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Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

-paws


	11. Chapter 11

**Title:** cabbage patch

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/General/Humor

**Word Count:** 10,420

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #23, cabbage patch

**Rating: **T (Contains content not suitable for children)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Non-massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.

**Created on:** 08/12/11

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 12/05/13

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**Chapter Eleven**

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"So, Iruka-sensei said that my taijutsu has become better, but I still need to work on my reaction speed during spars, which means I will just have to practice more," Sakura confided matter-of-factly to her best girl friend and fellow classmate, Yamanaka Ino. The two nine-year old kunoichi-in-training were having lunch during break time, sitting under the shelter of a large oak tree at the edge of the Academy's training ground and sharing a homemade bento prepared by Ino's mother. Sakura nibbled on a small piece of chikuwa even as she painstakingly made notes on the cute little planner that her mother had bought her for her ninth birthday, carefully penning in an extra hour for taijutsu practice in her daily schedule, her serious green eyes studying her to-do list solemnly before she nodded to herself and slipped the little book shut. She would be able to implement her new schedule right after school today if she finished her classwork quickly. The girl popped the rest of the fishcake into her mouth then and set aside the planner, dragging her exercise book to her next as she proceeded to work on her sums.

Ino just eyed her diligent pink-haired friend as she started on the homework assigned to them just one class period ago. As usual, the latter had easily grasped the concepts encompassed in the lesson despite having learned it so recently and was deftly solving the problems that their sensei had assigned. Ino felt a sense of growing envy as she watched Sakura solve the various questions one after another, and she pouted. Her shy, quiet friend was so very smart that it was sometimes quite intimidating. "Mou, Sakura-chan, why do you always work so hard?"

It was true; Sakura always had the highest written scores in their year even if she was a bit below average when it came to the physical aspect of their education. She was a conscientious student and was always very attentive in class, which meant that she quickly picked up theories that the instructors taught during lessons and also seemed to possess a formidable memory bank that allowed her to easily remember everything she read the first time around. The girl was undeniably intelligent and moreover, she supplemented her natural book smarts with a hardworking, industrious ethic and a humble, eager to learn disposition that made her a favorite amongst their teachers. While not exactly Miss Popularity in class (that title belonged to Ino instead), her willingness to help others with their studies made her quite generally well-liked by their classmates, even if some privately thought her a bit of a know-it-all and a teacher's pet. Not that anyone would dare say that out loud, of course, for fear of retaliation from her best friends, one who happened to be the undisputable Queen Bee of their entire cohort, whereas another was Konoha's King of Pranks, both of whom would make life extremely unpleasant for anyone stupid enough to attack the one whom they cared so much for.

Sakura absently tucked her hair behind her ear before picking up her chopsticks once again and stealing a small bite of rice from the bento. She chewed, swallowed, and then turned her attention to her pretty, golden-haired friend, who looked a bit put out with her studious ways. "Sorry, Ino-chan," she apologized, genuinely contrite. "You know I'm not very good at some of the things sensei expects of us, so I must work harder than everyone else to make up for that!"

In response, the bossy blonde merely pointed incredulously at the homework her friend was already in the process of completing. "Sakura-chan, if this is what you mean by not being very good at it, then I think the rest of us are doomed!"

Sakura looked chagrinned. "Oh no; I didn't mean to imply that!" she hurriedly explained. "And I wasn't talking about these problems; I just wanted to finish them as quickly as I can so that I can join Naruto with his laps later after school. I have to work harder to improve my stamina so I won't be so weak and useless."

Sakura had clenched her fist and was looking skywards in a completely fired up manner, but Ino was immediately furious at her remark. "Who called you names again, Sakura-chan?" the young blonde demanded angrily. "You are not weak and useless!"

Sakura quickly shook her head, swiftly reaching out to calm down her irritated friend even though a part of her was very touched by the latter's fierce defense of her. "No one called me names, Ino-chan! But…I'm really physically weak and not very useful right now, and I don't want to always be this way, so I have to put forth more effort to become stronger."

Sakura sounded very logical, but Ino still did not understand. "But Sakura-chan, you don't have to become stronger right now; nobody in class cares about that. We can worry about that when we are older, can't we?"

The pink-haired girl shook her head fervently. "I can't do that. If I wait any longer, then they are all going to leave me behind!"

"Who?" Ino asked with bewilderment.

"Naruto! Sasuke! And Itachi-kun!" Sakura confided earnestly. "They are getting stronger all the time, and if I don't follow, I will never catch up to them!"

"Itachi-kun?" Ino echoed, confused. Sakura did not sound like she was referring to her rascally pet weasel. The young blonde had heard the name before but didn't remember where she had done so. "Who is that?"

Bright green eyes met light turquoise ones. "Itachi-kun is Sasuke's older brother. He is my friend too, and he is the nicest person I know!"

There was a lively tone of interest and admiration in the pink-haired girl's voice as she spoke of the Uchiha heir, and that made Ino even more curious, even if she had never met this Itachi-kun before. "Eh? But that's silly, Sakura-chan. Why must you catch up to them? They are boys; they will always be stronger and more powerful than us; even sensei said so."

Once again, Sakura shook her head stubbornly. "Even if so, I must keep working hard too. One day, I want to be strong enough to look after all of my precious people, and that includes you," the girl told her astonished friend seriously. "I know you have always been watching out for me, Ino-chan. I want to be able to protect you too!"

Ino's face warmed at hearing the determined declaration. "Iyaa! Sakura-chan!" Impulsively, the golden-haired nine-year old immediately reached over to tackle her surprised bosom buddy in a fierce hug, nearly overturning the bento box between them in the process. Sakura squeaked but recovered quickly enough, more than happy to accept and return the affectionate gesture from Ino. Then, the blonde quickly pulled back to look at her friend, a wide grin on her face as she closed her right hand in a fist and extended her pinkie out towards Sakura.

"Best friends forever," Ino told her firmly. Sakura's own face broke out in a huge smile as she promptly hooked her last finger to Ino's, effectively sealing the pinkie promise.

"Best friends forever!" she repeated proudly and happily, and for a brief moment, both girls just beamed goofily at each other. Then, Ino huffed and tried to look exasperated, but completely ruined the look when her lips kept twitching up in an irrepressible smile.

"Hmmph, now see what you have done, Sakura-chan!" the blonde scolded playfully. "I feel motivated to work hard too, so don't think that only you can be the hero! I bet I will get to save you more than you do me, so let's get stronger together, ne?"

Sakura was startled, but very, very glad to hear Ino's comment. She nodded eagerly, her face aglow with affection and delight. "Yes, let's get stronger together! We will take turns saving each other, so no one will get left behind!"

The two girls grinned at one another, exhilarated from the promises they had just made.

"Ah, what a good idea you have, Sakura-chan." Ino blushed slightly as she thought of the boy she had secretly taken more and more notice of recently. "If I become strong enough, do you think Sasuke-kun will notice me then?"

It took Sakura only a short moment to figure out what Ino meant. Doe-like emerald eyes widened with surprise. "E-eeh?! Ino-chan, you l-like Sasuke?!"

"Kyaa! Don't say it so loudly!"

* * *

The three o'clock school bell rang for the last time that day, signaling the end of classes at the Academy. As always, it didn't take very long before Konoha's young ninja-wannabes were quickly streaming out of the large building they would be schooled in for the entire duration of their tenure as students, laughing and shouting boisterously like children usually did as they either poured out to meet their parents and guardians or just ran off on their own.

Comfortably lost amongst the herd of fellow students, nine year old Uchiha Sasuke decided that he was having an adequate day so far.

He aced the throwing weapons accuracy test today, hitting every mark dead center and showing up everyone else in class. He was quite confident that he had done very well on the pop quiz Iruka-sensei had decided to give out of the blue, and best of all, his fan girls had been too busy scrambling to get in some last minute studying to bother him overly much and he didn't have to worry about being stalked all over the place by those crazy females during lunch. Yes, it was indeed shaping up to be an okay, tolerable spring day—

"Psst! Sasuke, here! Over here!"

The soft, obviously girlish voice was not unfamiliar to him; in fact, he had heard it often enough to recognize its owner even without having to see her. In typical conditioned response, the young Uchiha's face started to form an irritable scowl; the dark-haired boy was tempted to feign sudden deafness and pretend that he hadn't heard his name being called, but he knew better than to actually do so. Knowing Sakura like he did, the girl was unlikely to give up until she gained his attention, and would likely, in the process, reveal his current position to all of his annoying fan girls.

It was really aggravating how his pink-haired classmate could always find him no matter how well he concealed his presence. Sasuke glowered with obvious aggravation as he reluctantly turned towards the girl who was half hidden amongst the trees that were clustered at the side of the Academy building. The second son of the Uchiha patriarch took a quick second to furtively observe his surroundings and when he saw that the coast was clear, wasted no time shuffling towards the kunoichi-in-training, wanting to get this encounter over with as fast as possible.

"What is it this time?" the nine-year old boy asked shortly the moment he was within hearing range, though his fussy, impatient behavior was promptly ignored by Sakura, who had by now grown used to his easily vexed nature. The young girl just smiled brightly at her grumpy friend.

"Sasuke, I'm so glad I found you before you left! Naruto and I are going to train together at the park later. We need more practice with our taijutsu; do you, erm…do you want to train with us?"

It was not the first time that Sakura had asked; in fact, the young girl had often extended the same invitation to her obviously reticent friend since both her and Naruto started to make it a practice to train together after school nearly half a year ago, and even though Sasuke had never agreed to attend even one of those sessions so far, Sakura had still hoped that he would, one day. It would be wonderful if they could all train and grow strong together—

"No, I don't want to," the spiky-haired Uchiha refuted almost immediately, the cross look of irritation evident on his face. It was not the first time that he had to refuse the dubious offer and the repetitive encounters were wearing thin on his sorely limited patience. As such, the insensitive boy did not even bother to control his harsh words when he proceeded to bluntly explain just why he would never train with them. "You and Naruto are not even near my level; training with you two will be a waste of my time. Chichi-ue said that I should not bother with people who are weak; I can train back at the clan compound and learn more than I can by just running around with you guys."

At the brusque, unthinking words, Sakura felt her face fall with hurt and disappointment. She really shouldn't be surprised that Sasuke thought her and Naruto weak…was that why he was no longer willing to play with them anymore?

The little girl struggled not to let her sadness show. "Oh…" she breathed softly, her usually bright green eyes slightly clouded and downcast. Still, she did not give up right away. "But if you change your mind-"

Sasuke scowled at her persistence. The girl could certainly be worse than his most stubborn admirers on some days. "I won't change my mind," the boy cut her off before she could even finish, forcing himself not to react to the distress on her face even as a small part deep inside him twitched with guilt and discomfort. He had to do this; both she and Naruto were useless to him and the elders in his clan had promised that he would be strong like his brother only if he didn't have anyone dragging him down, and he trusted their words completely because weren't they the ones that trained Itachi as well? He had always known instinctively from a very young age just how awesome and amazing his nii-san was, but now as he grew older, the blind adoration of his elder sibling was slowly giving way to a powerful admiration based on the actual abilities of his brother, and the factual realization that his brother was _overwhelmingly powerful_.

Graduated from the Academy at the top of his class at seven. Mastered the Sharingan at eight. Became Chuunin at ten. ANBU Captain at thirteen.

His nii-san was the strongest ninja he knew, and when the former was his age, he was already Genin, already served in Konoha's active duty roster, the pride of their clan, a fully qualified ninja able to protect and guard their village.

_So what was Sasuke still doing, wasting his time in the Academy? _

_When was his Sharingan going to manifest itself? _

_How was he going to ever catch up to his brother if he continued to be so weak? _

He was becoming old enough to understand the whispers of his relatives, always comparing him to his brother, and even though he had been declared the top rookie in class ever since he entered the Academy, even though his taijutsu was the best at his level, that he already knew how to perform all the basic Ninjutsu and even the C-ranked Goukakyuu when none of his classmates could claim the same, even though he consistently got the highest marks for both the physical and written portions of his education, was considered a genius of his own right, _it was still not enough_.

He was the youngest in the main family of the Uchiha, the one who still had a long way to go, had so much more to learn before he could begin to do his clan proud, and it was his destiny to follow in the footsteps of his brother, forever chasing after his exceptionally talented sibling, longing for the acknowledgement of older male, so much so that Sasuke would do just about anything to make that happen.

If cutting ties with the weak civilian girl and the village pariah would help achieve his goal like the clan elders had said it would, then Sasuke would do so. They were worthless anyway, the young Uchiha convinced himself not for the first time, one so weak that she couldn't possibly be a good ninja when she grew up, whereas the other was a dead last orphan who only knew how to make an idiot out of himself and seemed to be disliked by anyone who so much as looked at him. He was better off without them hanging around him as deadweights, and Sasuke had to try very hard to push away the memories of Sakura stuffing rice balls into his mouth and of Naruto helping him throw paint-filled water balloons at the girls who had refused to leave him alone.

"Sasuke," Sakura spoke softly then, her voice beseeching even as her eyes reflected her hurt at his callous brush off. "Naruto and I, we will still wait for you to come."

She sounded quietly determined, unable and unwilling to give up on this grumpy boy whom she had called friend since she was five no matter how deliberately unkind he was being. Sasuke just looked away uncomfortably, pretending he hadn't heard her earnest promise, his eyes widening with alarm when he saw a few of his older cousins emerging from the Academy building. Feeling panicked and ashamed of being caught with his present company, the boy escaped her side without a word and went up to meet his relatives instead, stubbornly refusing to look back at the girl whose stricken gaze was burning into his back like a brand.

"Hey, Sasuke. Who's that you were with just now?" one of the older boys asked with teasing slyness as the Uchiha children walked towards the Academy gates and past the pink-haired kunoichi-in-training who had remained amongst the trees, well within hearing distance. Sasuke's expression darkened with guilt, but his relatives easily assumed his grimace was one of irritation.

"She's just an annoying nobody," he muttered, resolutely not looking at Sakura for fear of what he would see on her face.

"Let's go."

* * *

Sasuke did not turn up at the park that afternoon, or the one after that, or on any of the training sessions that Sakura and Naruto participated in thereafter. In fact, the spiky-haired Uchiha had taken to avoiding those two altogether, ignoring them deliberately in school and, when that failed, he would resort to treating them as if they were nothing more than thorns in his side.

His abrasive, dismissive attitude towards them hurt Sakura, who did not understand why her friend was behaving like that. She had no way to ask why either, since Sasuke was certainly not telling. Not surprisingly, Naruto was immensely irate with the Uchiha and his stuck up, holier-than-thou attitude, and, if not for Sakura's plea to restrain himself, would have tried his best to humiliate and embarrass the other boy with his tricks and pranks in revenge.

"Sasuke-teme is being an idiot," the golden-haired nine-year old had scoffed with all the wisdom of his years as they were warming up for their laps around the park one day, trying in his own way to console his upset best friend. "If he doesn't want anything to do with us, then fine! We don't need that duck-assed bastard around either! We will just get stronger ourselves and kick his ass; that'll teach him to ignore us!"

It was obvious that one year of private tutoring from Sakura had done wonders in refining Naruto's crude, self-taught speech and his rather dubious command of the Japanese language, even though it had been an uphill battle the entire time. Whilst no class genius, the young Uzumaki was at least a little more educated now and could more or less read and understand what was being taught in class, though he hardly showed that side of himself in the Academy since he still hated to learn anything too theoretical and could not sit still long enough to absorb the lessons the instructors disseminated to their students. As such, his results were still quite distressingly dismal, but his unwillingness to perform his best in school was reluctantly overlooked by Sakura since he seemed to at least understand most of the subjects in his own strange and obscure manner, often associating the different topics with various odd and out-of-the-box examples that no one else would have thought of, but seemed to work marvelously for him all the same.

Sakura had already done all she could to help Naruto on the studying front; it would have been perfect if Sasuke had been willing to assist them both with the physical aspect of becoming a capable ninja, but that was a pipe dream now.

"Naruto…" Sakura drew out quietly then, heading straight to the crux of the matter even as the blonde was still mumbling angrily under his breath. "Sasuke is our friend."

And that was the problem, wasn't it? They both regarded the Uchiha as their friend, but it was obvious that the bastard did not feel the same way, if he was abandoning them like that and without even the simple courtesy of giving them a good explanation. Naruto was not unused to betrayal from people who claimed to want to be his friend only to suddenly turn around to belittle him and try to hurt him with their fake bonds, but Sasuke had clearly gone too far this time, upsetting Sakura-chan who, unlike himself, could not even bring herself to be angry at the snooty, arrogant moron no matter how stupidly hurtful he was being, let alone try to hate him.

"Feh! Friends don't do stupid things like this to each other!"

Naruto grew angered once more just thinking about it. He thought Sasuke wasn't like the rest of those people who were deliberately cruel and selfish, thinking only of themselves and uncaring of others; although rare, there had been various instances over the years where the other boy had unexpectedly revealed glimpses of the kindness he was capable of, even if grudgingly so and in his usual rough, grumpy manner, and it was difficult for Naruto to reconcile that Sasuke with this current obnoxious, pain-in-the-backside version. Still, as much as he wanted to deny it, the blonde knew that Sakura-chan was right. Sasuke was their friend whether the dark-haired boy acknowledged it or not, and they couldn't just give up on him like that, even if he was being something of an extremely shortsighted jackass at the moment.

"Sometimes, I can't believe that the teme is related to Itachi-nii-sama," Naruto muttered as they started their laps, falling into a steady pace that was just a few notches above Sakura's comfort level, a standard that was slowly but steadily increasing as the two trained together nearly every day.

Even though the golden-haired blonde possessed a boundless amount of stamina and, with all the practice he had dodging the Military Police and various Konoha shinobi whenever he was on a pranking episode, could easily run a lot faster than their current speed, Sakura-chan didn't have the type of endurance that he had, and therefore he was careful to keep that in mind whenever they trained together. The whiskered boy, for all his outwardly brash and impatient demeanor said about him, was surprisingly understanding towards his best friend's plight, as he could easily relate to her fierce determination to become stronger, the will to not give up no matter how weak she had been in the beginning, no matter how much she had suffered for her body's aches and pains initially. He helped her in the only way he knew how, increasing his speed slowly every day and motivating her to push herself to the limit so that she could improve as quickly as possible.

The results of all the sweat, toil and strained, tender muscles had not been immediate, but in the six months since they had started meeting daily to practice and train together, the young girl's stamina was developing at a nice rate, and her previously soft and weak body was slowly becoming sturdier and stronger from the recurrent physical conditioning. Much to her delight, she no longer fell over as easily as she used to during the light contact spar sessions held in school and she could also run marginally faster and complete the mandatory morning jogs with the entire class without feeling winded and dizzy like before. It had taken months, and slowly but surely, she had finally reached the point where her young physique was at the very least limber and toned enough for her to benefit more from taijutsu practice, making her current physical condition suitable to concentrate further on the various aspects of unarmed combat.

Half a year ago, that would not have been possible since she did not possess the endurance to last even half a match, let alone spar continuously with a partner. Mere days after her promise to Itachi-kun to become stronger, he had taken her to one of the empty training grounds and put her through her paces in order to assess what she needed to work on, and she had struggled badly during that short, simple test. She had been mortified to near tears and deeply ashamed, but objective as always, he had not consoled or coddled her with meaningless promises or reassurances, but had merely told her that if she persevered and never gave up, her weakness would one day turn into strength. He had never lied to her before, and besides, there was no other way and she was determined to change herself, even if she had to do whatever it took to accomplish that.

The young girl faithfully committed everything that had happened that day to memory, from the patient look on her friend's face to the unflinchingly honest words he had told her, and even though it was not said—rather, it was implied—his quiet belief that she would be able to better herself had lent her the courage to continue and never give up no matter how difficult the next few months would become for her.

That day, Itachi-kun had explained her situation to her, pointing out her most glaring deficiencies and providing suggestions to gradually improve in his usual practical manner, not that Sakura had minded one bit. Her friend had helped her greatly even just by providing pointers which she would have been utterly lost without, having no experience or prior knowledge whatsoever on what to do to best train her weak body and lagging stamina, or how to consistently practice in order to commit the various taijutsu kata and stances into muscle memory, or even the type of food she should eat more of so as to develop a healthy form suitable for the lifestyle of a ninja. In that manner of speaking, Sakura was very grateful for Itachi-kun's advice, heeding him with the same studious attention that she employed unfailingly in her academic endeavors, eager to learn as long as he was willing to teach her.

On the training grounds, Itachi-kun was her sensei, and Sakura did her best to learn from him as much as she could, never taking for granted the time he took away from his duties just to help her.

Thankfully enough, there was also Naruto, who like her, was also determined to become stronger and better. It didn't take long before the two children took to training together, motivating each other to new heights when it became apparent that their strengths were the other's weaknesses. For example, it was quickly discovered that Sakura possessed exquisite chakra control even though her chakra reserves, like her stamina, were very small. On the other end of the spectrum, Naruto had a humongous supply of chakra stored in him at any given time, easily high Jounin-level in amount—no small feat for a nine year old, even an extremely hyperactive one—but unfortunately, he did not have even the smallest fraction of Sakura's control to properly channel and utilize the energy effectively. His stamina was ungodly, and his pink-haired friend quickly realized just how amazing he truly was the first time they were put together to train.

Even though the Uchiha heir was unable to constantly supervise their progress, he had still done everything he possibly could to make sure that the two younger children would have as much support as they could get, even if just from each other. Much to Naruto's initial disappointment, the older boy had not taught them any super powered, kickass, one-hit KO jutsu like the golden-haired child had expected, but had concentrated on drilling the basics into them instead, reinforcing their foundational skills and emphasizing the importance of honing their fundamental abilities. Not surprisingly, Naruto had been set to work on various chakra control exercises which Sakura was able to lend a hand in, whereas Sakura was tasked to develop her stamina and chakra reservoir, which Naruto was able to help motivate her with.

The simple but effective method worked, for Sakura's physical abilities were steadily improving every day and Naruto had managed to get down the Henge that had been recently taught to his class—the first, and coincidentally, the most difficult of the basic three Ninjutsu that all Academy students were required to learn in order to pass their Genin exams. The two children had also bonded well, learning to work seamlessly so as to make the most out of their training, not to mention the emotional support that the two gave to each other was also an added boon from this arrangement they shared; Sakura felt as close to Naruto as if he was a sibling that she had been separated from at birth, and Naruto's life had been granted a small semblance of normalcy as a result of that guileless, unconditional affection.

The young blonde had no qualms in admitting that all the good things that had happened to him so far were mostly due to the presence of his precious people in his life. The boy was more grateful for it than anyone would have thought possible, showing nothing short of respect to his older brother figure and downright adoration of his pink-haired friend who he secretly thought of as family. And whether he liked it or not, Sasuke teme was also one of those important bonds, forged unwittingly over the years in between hilarious pranks, loud arguments and ridiculous competitions to see who could better outdo the other.

It would have been great if they could all train and grow strong together—what fun they would have had—but the dumbass just had to go and ruin it.

The stupid fuzzy. Stupid duck butt. Stupid stuck-up idiot. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!

Naruto was cursing under his breath as he ran, hoping rather perversely that the sour bastard in question would somehow receive his 'fond' thoughts at the moment and proceed to sneeze until his nose fell off. Beside him, Sakura-chan just concentrated on putting her feet one in front of another as she jogged besides her whiskered friend, keeping her strides and breathing steady as she focused on keeping pace with him for as long as she possibly could. The two children proceeded to circle around the quiet park, automatically following a meandering, well-worn dirt trail that they often took, and for the rest of the run, it was silent except for the companionable pounding of feet and the sounds of quick respiration.

Nearly forty five minutes later, Sakura was grasping at the ends of her stamina and only still pressing on by sheer stubborn will alone. She was panting harshly, perspiration matting her hair, a clump of her fringe stuck onto her forehead and her face bright red from her exertions. She was running less and more stumbling along by now, but as long as she did not stop moving altogether the exercise continued, as it was an unspoken agreement that their run would not be considered over until the moment she did. Beside her, Naruto still looked fresh as a daisy and barely winded, and even though the young boy looked concerned by his best friend's condition, he did not ask her to stop. The pink-haired girl's attention was focused resolutely ahead, determined to complete one last lap before she collapsed from exhaustion, and by now, Naruto was so familiar with her perfectionist nature he knew not to interfere with her strange compulsion to only run complete, perfect laps, even if it would nearly kill her to do so in the process.

Recently, the pink-haired girl had been pushing herself harder than before during their training sessions, almost as if determined to improve herself as quickly as she possibly could. While Naruto was admittedly dense and oblivious at times, the boy was not completely blind _or_ stupid, and he could very well guess at the reason behind his friend's sudden desire to better herself beyond the rate that she was already doing so and that it had most likely something to do with a certain bigheaded bastard they called friend. The young blonde scowled, feeling the urge to smack around teme become even stronger than usual. Of course, the other boy would kick his ass easily if he tried, being something of a taijutsu prodigy in the Academy with his perfect stances and flowing movements, but that would not stop Naruto from trying anyway for daring to hurt Sakura-chan's feelings.

At last, they rounded off the last lap around the park and Sakura staggered weakly to a stop, immediately bending over to rest her hands on her knees to relieve the uncomfortable stitches that had developed at her side during their run, struggling to slow down her pounding heart and regulate her heavy breathing. Naruto trotted over to the park bench where they had left their belongings to collect his friend's water bottle and headed back to her. The surprisingly thoughtful boy unscrewed the cap for his best friend and then silently pushed the container towards her for her to take.

Sakura accepted the offer of water with a wheezing reply of gratitude and shakily took a few sips from the canteen. It was some time before she regained the ability to speak properly, and then she proceeded to wave him on to continue his run. Unlike herself, Naruto could press on for much further still, and at a significantly faster speed, too. She did not want to slow down his progress beyond what she was already doing, and so she gently shooed him away even as he hovered uncertainly over her, concern plain on his whiskered face. Her heart warmed with affection for this boy who was so much sweeter than the rest of the village would ever allow him to be.

"I'm fine. Go, Naruto," she told him with surprising firmness as she sent him off, heading for the bench herself to set down her bottle and start on her cooling down exercises. "I will wait here."

It was routine for them; the golden-haired boy would continue his run and while Sakura waited for him to finish, she would pull out the scrolls on chakra theory that she had borrowed from the Academy Library and study them, at the same time sticking pieces of leaves to various tenketsu points on her body to practice her chakra control. There was no other way for her to improve but to diligently learn and practice; she was not a genius like Sasuke and she also did not have limitless amounts of chakra at her disposal like Naruto. As such, she could only make the best out of what she had and ensuring that she knew how to efficiently utilize every drop of energy in her possession would go a long way towards that endeavor.

Naruto would typically take around an hour or two before he started to tire from his laps, and so she also took the time to rest and recuperate her energy until he came back. Then, she would help him with perfecting the leaf concentration chakra control exercise, which Naruto happened to be completely terrible at since sitting still and focusing on harnessing his humongous pool of chakra supply was not something he was particularly interested in doing. Once they muddled through that, they would end the training with taijutsu practice, refining their kata forms again and again until slipping into the stances became an automatic and natural action for them to do.

By the time the two children concluded their training, the sky was already darkening. Naruto stretched and grinned at his best friend, feeling accomplished and very pleased with himself for completing another session. "Yatta! At this rate we are going, we will become kickass ninjas very soon, Sakura-chan!"

Wiping at her sweaty brow with a face towel that she had brought along, Sakura smiled and nodded with agreement. Her body felt sore from the exercise, but she was growing used to the feeling, associating it as a positive experience for it meant that she was becoming stronger. If they continued to work hard at this rate, then perhaps Sasuke would be willing to come back to them soon.

"Naruto," she started slowly then, not sure how her friend would react. "About Sasuke-"

Sakura half expected Naruto to grow angry at their friend again, but surprisingly enough, he did not do that.

"Yeah, I know what you are trying to say, Sakura-chan," the young blonde muttered, his earlier boisterous mood becoming slightly more subdued. Evidently, the physical training had served a side purpose of clearing Naruto's anger and making him think, an endeavor that the boy was surprisingly good at when forced to do so. "Teme is being an asshat right now, but he is still teme, huh?"

The sentence really didn't make much sense but the resigned tone it was spoken in made Sakura relax inwardly with relief. The pink-haired girl had been worried that her two friends would be at odds with each other because of this situation and that was the last thing she wanted to happen. The fact that Naruto understood took a great weight off her shoulders and made her feel more hopeful; if they both worked together, then there was no way Sasuke would be able to ignore them forever, right?

"What should we do now, Naruto?" Sakura asked. "Sasuke is not talking to us anymore, and I don't want to bother Itachi-kun about this." Sure, Itachi-kun would talk to Sasuke if they asked, but Sakura didn't want Sasuke to be forced to put up with them. She wanted him to stay with them because he wanted to, not because he was made to do so by his older brother. They wouldn't be true friends if that was so, and she did not want that.

Naruto stuck his lower lip out and went briefly into his thinking pose, which consisted of him flopping onto the ground, crossing his legs in a lotus position and resting his chin on the back of his hand. Sakura stared at him curiously and just when she was going to slowly sit down beside him, his blue eyes cleared and he looked to her, conviction burning in his gaze.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan!" he told her in a bright, assuring manner. "I won't let Sasuke-teme ignore us any longer. Let's go find him now and ask him what his problem is; I know where he is!"

Sakura just stared at the whiskered blonde, whose face was set in a determined cast. "Eh, now? But we are-"

Naruto nodded, cutting her off. "Sakura-chan, the faster we do this, the faster we will get teme back, right?"

He was right, of course. The boy's engaging, unwavering demeanor seemed to be contagious, for after a very brief pause, Sakura found herself nodding keenly as well, her earlier down spirits reviving now that there was a course of action for her to follow.

"Y- You are right, Naruto! Let's quickly figure out what's wrong with Sasuke so we can fix the problem!"

They were friends; everything would be alright in the end, it had to be.

* * *

Sasuke stared at the two scruffy looking children who had found their way onto his family's private training ground, and what was more vexing was the fact that they had managed to corner him completely this time.

"This is Uchiha land; neither of you are allowed to be here," he told them with a fierce scowl. At his less than welcoming tone, it was not surprising that Sakura flinched slightly, her large expressive green eyes filled with mild hurt. Sasuke forced himself to ignore the feeling of guilt that gathered in his stomach at the look on her face. The stubborn, spiky-haired boy made himself focus on his growing irritation instead; it was easier to pin the blame on the young girl for making him feel so uncomfortable—he wouldn't have to feel this way if they weren't here. They shouldn't have come to find him; their presence was burdensome to him and he didn't want them around anymore.

The pink-haired girl's companion was not as easily cowed or shamed, however. Naruto scowled at the hostile way Sasuke was looking at them, the former's glower growing significantly more offended when he saw how the bastard had upset Sakura-chan again, just by opening his mouth.

"Shut up, teme!" the whiskered blonde growled protectively, stepping up to plant himself in front of his best friend. "What's your problem?"

The dark-haired boy just stared at them with defiance, jaw clenching, his eyes hard and set stubbornly ahead, as if he didn't even care to look at them. "Go away," the Uchiha enunciated lowly. "You are disrupting my training."

Naruto clenched his fists with anger and boldly took a step forward and then another, and another until he was right in the other boy's face, leaving him no choice but to deal with their presence. "I don't care!" the golden-haired child yelled back. "Why are you being such an asshole, teme? You are making Sakura-chan unhappy!"

Sasuke glared at fox-faced boy, and then he sneered slightly, perfectly mimicking the infuriating expression learned from his older cousins. "I don't care," he snapped back as meanly as he could manage it, even though something inside him winced at the increasingly upset looks on the other two children's faces at his callous words. Sasuke ruthlessly stamped down that feeling, starting to get angry himself. Why was he still such a sissy; he didn't care about them anymore, right? If he couldn't even do something so simple as get rid of these two, then what could he do? How could he grow stronger if he was always hesitating and uncertain?

The nine year old's frustration at himself was easily transferred to the duo that had ignited it in the first place. The dark-haired boy hissed, desperate to cut these weak bonds that were dragging him down. "The both of you are pathetic and useless to me. I'm Uchiha and you two are nobodies; you don't even have the right to be near me, let alone speak to me!"

That did it. Naruto's own easily aroused temper was immediately set off by the contemptuous, scornful tone that he had heard so often directed at him by people he didn't even know, but what was worse this time was that it was Sasuke who was saying such things to him and he had included Sakura-chan as well in his demeaning speech, and to him the latter most definitely did not deserve being attacked like that, and by the bastard they all considered a friend, no matter what a really shoddy one he was quickly turning out to be. Naruto did not like it at all, and his automatic urge was to plant a fist in Sasuke's pale, snotty face to make him take back the words that he had just said, but before he could actually do so, Sakura, sensing his increasing anger, quickly reached out to grab onto her blonde friend's sleeve, checking his movements.

The young girl stepped out from behind Naruto, her large eyes sad as she stared at the angry raven-haired boy. "You don't mean that," she told him at last, her voice quiet but brave, firm with belief. "I know you don't mean it; you are not like that. What's wrong, Sasuke?"

The boy in question reared back slightly at her soft question. Her lack of anger at his deliberately hurtful demeanor briefly threw him in for a loop. He did not know how to react to her persistent refusal to _quit_, to go away; take that dumb, equally stubborn dobe with her, and forget that they were ever friends. Why did they have to be so, so…_utterly, stupidly_ _loyal_?!

His face flickered with agitation, and then he allowed anger to take over again. "What's wrong?" Sasuke repeated bitterly. "You two are what's wrong. I wouldn't have to do this if both of you weren't so _weak_," he spat out, making the children before him flinch at his contempt. "Uchiha do not need friends who are useless to them. It's your fault that I have to do this."

As usual, Sasuke just knew who to pin the blame on.

Naruto bristled, not about to take such cheek from the rude ass. "Oi!" Once again, Sakura quickly tugged at the aggravated blonde before he could jump on the self-righteously annoyed Uchiha. The latter's admission had given her hope; Sasuke did not sound like he truly hated to be with them—perhaps there was a way to save their friendship!

"Sasuke," she spoke quickly, her mind racing to fix the problem before it could get any worse. "If…if we get stronger, then you will still be our friend, right?"

Sasuke frowned. "I'd consider it," the nine-year old boy muttered sorely, but he did not look particularly hopeful that such an event would occur any time in the near future. "But the two of you cannot even cope with the lessons taught in the Academy. You are dead last and none of the teachers in school seem to like you," Sasuke looked from Naruto, who appeared angrily insulted and tense at his blunt observation, to Sakura. "And you, your chakra level is pathetic and you cannot even perform something as simple as the Academy style taijutsu during spars. Do you really think that you can get stronger so easily?"

"Hey!" Naruto barked. "Not everyone is lucky like you are, damn teme! We don't have a big, super ninja family to teach us anything we want! We must work hard by ourselves and we are already trying our best!"

"Well, your best is not enough!" Sasuke snapped back furiously. "I won't trust either of you to watch my back if this is all you can do!"

Naruto was about to hotheadedly tell Sasuke just where he could shove that lousy attitude of his when Sakura carefully cut in again. "How strong do we have to be before you are willing to accept us as your friends again?" the pink-haired girl asked quietly, her serious green eyes centered on the other boy, wanting the know the exact conditions that needed to be met if one wanted to be acknowledged by Uchiha Sasuke as a friend.

Naruto paused in the beginnings of his tirade and turned to gape at Sakura in surprise, growing upset by her question, or rather, the implications behind it. "Sakura-chan," the blonde protested immediately, vigorously shaking his shaggy head in disapproval and denial. "Friends who make you do things for them are not real friends! They are bad friends!"

The golden-haired boy sounded like he knew what he was talking about, and usually, Sakura would agree with him, but this time around, they had no choice.

"It'd be okay, Naruto," the pink-haired child assured the fox boy. "We will get stronger together, and then Sasuke will become our friend again. We cannot give up on him, right?"

Naruto's mouth snapped close at Sakura-chan's earnest entreaty; he could not disappoint this girl who was becoming more and more like his family as time passed, and furthermore, she was right. No matter how much Naruto blustered, yelled and swore, teme was an important member in their strange, hodgepodge little group, even if he was being thoroughly unbearable and unpleasant right now, even more than he usually was. Naruto's agitation reluctantly subsided. He still looked somewhat mutinous though, and he promptly turned to give Sasuke the stink eye. Undaunted, the young Uchiha scowled back cantankerously at the other two children.

"Well?" the golden-haired boy demanded brashly. "How strong must we become before we are worthy enough to be friends with His Royal Brattiness?"

Sasuke shot the annoying and downright irritating blonde a deadly glare for giving him that stupid nickname. He didn't have to stand here and take this kind of attitude from the dead last; they were the ones who refused to leave him alone, not the other way around! It was only because they were being so pigheadedly obstinate that he was reluctantly entertaining them; they meant nothing to him and he could do without them if he wanted to—he just pitied them, he didn't care about them! But yet, Sasuke did not turn away from the idiot and the weakling even though they were really beneath him, and after glowering at the loudmouthed Naruto once more, the dark-haired boy ignored him completely and turned to fix his attention resolutely on Sakura instead, much to the blonde's increasing outrage. It was easier to deal with the girl right now; she was a lot smarter and not as needlessly noisy at the dobe, and she always seemed to pick things up very quickly and had a way to control the rabid blonde, even though that was all she was good at.

Why was it so hard to find strong allies, the nine-year old Uchiha lamented silently to himself. None of this would have been necessary if he had somehow had the sense to befriend useful friends, instead of this pair of stubborn hangers on who had nothing else going for them other than being somewhat less unbearable than the fan girls who constantly mobbed him and the annoying classmates who never took their studies seriously and seemed to think that it was perfectly fine to fool around and slack off. Unlike what others thought, Sasuke had the highest achievements in his level only because he had worked hard and done his best for it, and it was immensely irritating to be around individuals who were not as driven as he was yet still had the audacity to envy and begrudge him his status. In that manner of speaking, it was no wonder that the dark-haired boy barely got along with anyone in class, let alone be willing to befriend any of those idiots. At least Sakura was always trying her best to overcome her natural weakness and Naruto, although rubbish at his studies, was actually good enough to evade the Konoha Military Police for hours on end whenever he was on one of his pranking episodes, if the blonde's bragging and the complaints of Sasuke's adult relatives were to be believed.

…alright, so maybe these two were the only ones he could tolerate in school and they were also a bit better than he had given them credit for, but that was still not enough. Out of the three of them, he was the one who came from a high ranking clan, as the elders who shared his surname never failed to remind him; it made sense that he had to be more selective with who he allowed to be around him. It was bad enough that neither Naruto nor Sakura were from particularly well off or powerful ninja families, in fact, it was the opposite and their meager backgrounds (one a civilian, the other, an unwanted orphan) were frankly embarrassing to the young boy who hailed from a family that was every bit as illustrious and as established as the Shodaime's. He really should have hung out more with his cousins, but unfortunately, those around his age were annoying, bigoted idiots as well and in the end, he could only seem to stand being around the dobe and the pink-haired girl no matter how irritating they were sometimes.

Perhaps, it was really no surprise and just as well that he only got along with those two out of the entire student body at the Academy.

Without another word to the fuming Naruto and solemn Sakura, Sasuke turned and marched resolutely to an open area of the training ground, leaving his unwanted companions no choice but to follow after him with disgruntlement/curiosity. Sasuke did not wait for them to catch up to him; instead, he came to a stop at the edge of the small lake and started to perform a short series of hand seals with careful and deliberate precision borne from frequent, diligent practice, a look of concentration on his face as he gathered chakra to his hara and focused on converting it into fire.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

The two children with him gaped with awe and surprise at the sizeable ball of fire that erupted from their friend's mouth, the strength and heat of the flames intense and, at the same time, astonishing to behold. The large mass of fire rolled over the water surface with astounding velocity, reaching its maximum speed and mass before disintegrating abruptly in sparks of ember, and by the time Sasuke turned to look at Naruto and Sakura, they were staring at him with something akin to wide-eyed shock and wonder.

"S-sugoi…" Sakura breathed, admiration in her bright green gaze as she stared at her brooding, dark-haired friend. It was simply amazing that Sasuke was already able to perform such an advanced technique that wasn't even taught in school, and in one shot, the young Uchiha had proven his superiority to the other two children; he wasn't just bragging with nothing concrete to back him up—he was really so far above them that it was no wonder that he was hardly impressed with their meager abilities.

"Teme! Where did you learn that?!" As usual, Naruto was the first to demand hotheadedly, pointing at the other boy with an outstretched arm and a finger even as childish envy coursed through him at the Uchiha's seemingly effortless execution of such an awesome looking jutsu. Sasuke just scowled back at him.

"That's the Goukakyuu no Jutsu. Every true Uchiha knows it, and I learned to use it last year," the dark-haired boy revealed matter-of-factly.

Last year! The two children gawked at their friend. They had always known that Sasuke was the class prodigy, that he was a genius in the Academy and all the sensei were always praising him for his intelligence and talents, but this was quite something else altogether, and very intimidating as well. Sakura couldn't even fathom just how much chakra and control would be needed to pull off the jutsu that Sasuke had just done moments ago and even Naruto was thoroughly impressed as well.

It was intimidating—Sasuke's progress—but as the two exchanged a glance, their briefly astounded and uncertain gazes quickly reaffirmed with renewed determination and drive.

Sakura turned to look at Sasuke. "Do we have to learn how to do that too if we want you to accept us?" she asked carefully at last.

The look on Sasuke's face showed his doubt over their ability to learn and perform the jutsu, but he nodded sharply all the same.

"If the both of you can do the Goukakyuu, then I will let you stay around me." He quickly showed them the hand seals for the katon technique, and then scowled fiercely at them again for good measure. "One month. If you can't get it down in one month, then I'll never bother with the two of you again."

It was definitely a challenge to them, and in typical fashion, Naruto promptly rose to meet it. "Pfft! This will be a piece of cake, Sasuke-teme! Forget one month; we will have it down in one week!"

Once again, the brash blonde child was pointing at his dark-haired friend in an irritating fashion and loudly boasting away even as his more practical, pink-haired companion turned to stare at him in an appalled manner.

"Naruto!" the girl gasped in protest. Knowing their current limits, how could he just recklessly promise something like that? "One week is too-"

"It's okay, Sakura-chan!" Naruto's voice was filled with infectious determination and clear purpose. "We will do it, we will definitely do it! We will show teme how good we are! He'll be begging us to hang out with him soon enough!"

It was difficult not to be swept away by the golden-haired boy's enthusiasm, and Sakura quickly felt her worries and hesitation fade away at that goofily happy, confident look. Resolve gathered in her bright green eyes, and Sakura quickly nodded in agreement. "Uhn! We'll get the Goukakyuu down soon enough. Just watch us, Sasuke!"

In response, the young Uchiha scoffed softly. "Brag only after you have shown me the results, you idiots," he muttered in a gruffly disgruntled fashion, but yet there was hardly any heat in his tone, just irritated exasperation. After all, he was the one who had decided to give them the opportunity to prove themselves, and they were also probably the only two people in the whole school stupid enough to take on his challenge. Whereas most in their shoes would have been impressed by his ability and then promptly intimidated if asked to recreate his feat, these two just took on his demand like it was the easiest thing to accomplish, even though they had to know just how hopeless their levels were compared to his own. Yet, they were still going to try their best anyway, hardly put off or daunted by their sheer differences in abilities, just so that they could all remain _friends_.

Dumbasses, the two of them. Really, stubborn, dumbasses.

Sometimes, Sasuke wondered why he put up with them. Then he wondered if he would even bother if they weren't this specially annoying in the first place.

The reluctant warmth that crept into his chest was very irritating as well, but the dobe's screeching in the background made it easier for him to feign nonchalance and maintain his piqued expression of aggravation.

"Bragging! I'm not bragging! Teme! Just you wait and see!" The blonde was all but yelling right in his ears by now, gaining Sasuke's ire, as was evident by the discreet twitch of displeasure of Sasuke's eyelid. Sakura had her hands full pulling Naruto back, and eventually, she managed—barely.

"Naruto, stop that!" At last, Sakura lost her patience and bellowed not so softly herself, scowling as well. Before she could stop herself, the girl planted her fist on top of the fluffy blonde head of her friend. Sasuke could not tell who looked more surprised by her unusually violent action; Sakura herself or Naruto. The young Kyuubi Jinchuuriki promptly yelped.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto complained unhappily, pulling away from Sasuke at last to rub at his bruised head instead. "Why did you hit for?"

"Sorry, Naruto, but don't quarrel with Sasuke!" the pink-haired girl scolded reprovingly, and at the same time, quickly proving how easily she could bring her whiskered friend to heel with just her stern demeanor and quelling expression. "We should all get along with each other!" Then, she turned to the young Uchiha and looked rather expectantly at him. "Right, Sasuke?"

Once again, there was a strangely sweet, alarming lilt in her young, girlish voice and a rather disturbing glint in her large, innocent, doe-like eyes that quickly sent simultaneous shivers of dread down the spines of the two boys who were looking at her.

Never mind the fact that the girl in question wasn't exactly very strong physically, but there and then, nine-year old Sasuke's ninja sense told him that it would not be wise to provoke her temper, rare as the occurrence was. Even the earlier bristling, deliberately antagonistic Naruto had suddenly quieted and was inching closer to him once more, but this time around, the former lacked the hostile, quarrelsome intent shown earlier and appeared to be huddling up in an intuitive attempt at male solidarity against a potential terrifying entity of the opposite gender.

For some reason unknown to Sasuke, he made no move to put distance between himself and the dobe, perhaps instinctively finding safety in numbers. At last, the dark-haired boy huffed noncommittally at Sakura's question but did not outright deny her all the same, and that seemed to be enough of a confirmation for the young girl. In rather comical concert, the two boys relaxed unconsciously only at her subsequent beam of happiness, a sure indication that the imminent danger had passed. Sasuke looked away to the side and tried to ignore Naruto's utterly offending whisper of 'pussy.'

Somehow, before he could stop and remind himself that he was an Uchiha and was therefore above such actions, Sasuke reached up and whacked Naruto across the back of the latter's head the moment Sakura's attention was momentarily diverted. The boys promptly made use of Sakura's brief preoccupation with her shoelaces to tussle soundlessly with each other, discreetly shoving and hitting each other but extremely careful not to do it loud enough to regain the girl's attention. The wide, increasingly stupid grin plastered sloppily on Naruto's face at the sight of Sasuke's own irritated expression just made the latter feel even more aggrieved; what was there to be so happy about when all the dobe was doing was getting hit by him?

And yet, for the life of him, Sasuke was unable to muster up even a decent sense of disgust or contempt for the current company that he was (reluctantly) keeping.

This group of morons was dangerous, the dark-haired boy thought warily. They made him forget himself and his position as an important member of the Uchiha clan so very easily, just by being nothing other than their open, spirited selves. If he was really smart, then he would do his best to avoid them at all costs, and not do the opposite and use every smallest excuse to let them hang around him some more.

He was becoming stupid like them too.

"Pussy," Naruto whispered with taunting glee again, and this time around, Sasuke didn't even hesitate as he reached over to strangle the idiot blonde.

* * *

_::tsuzuku::_

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Hey everyone! I hope all of you are doing well, wherever you are. Uhm, yes, so I updated, as promised. Thankfully enough, this didn't take as long as the last chapter did; I'm still slowly getting back in the saddle for 'cabbage patch,' but hopefully the muse will continue to cooperate and I can keep updating a bit more consistently than before.

Do thank my dear, _dear_ beta for this update. If not for her kind assistance (despite her hectic schedule and work life, mind you), I wouldn't have been able to get the chapter up by this weekend.

Betas are the best. Love your beta! =)

On a side note, this was supposed to be put up a bit earlier, but FF Net was acting wonky again and I wasn't able to upload the new chapter. My apologies for the long wait!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Yep, you people have more or less guessed it already. This is something of a filler chapter, an unfortunate but necessary evil for the advancement of the plot. It also kicks off the beginning of an important arc for the development of the members of Team Seven – both individually and as a whole, and that's all I will say for now.

This latest entry is somewhat Sakura-centric, but I feel that it is acceptable since the last few chapters have been centered rather heavily on Itachi, and Sakura needed to grow, too. I wanted to bring attention to her and, by extent, Naruto's struggles to achieve that growth; unlike individuals such as Sasuke and Itachi, the former duo have always been the underdogs and have always had to claw their way up inch by inch just to improve themselves. That takes time, determination and an impressive amount of dedication and effort in order to succeed, especially when one is starting from the very bottom – and I just wanted to show a bit of how hard it is for the two children to earn their strength.

This chapter is also considerably idyllic and less dramatic as compared to the rest; after all, Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto and all of their year mates are only nine years old at the moment, in a time where it is still relatively peaceful in Konoha. As such, I wanted to portray a pristine snapshot of their childhood before everything is thrown forward into high gear once more (which it will very soon).

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Next, I'd also like to make it clear that this is not and will never be a Sasuke-bashing fic.

I will confess that I'm not really impressed with canon!Sasuke, but the possibility of what could have been really intrigues me. Team Seven had a lot of potential to be legendary, and I'd like to try my hand at shaping a realistic team dynamic for them in CP-verse. However, like I have mentioned before, CP!Sasuke is still young, born to a privileged family, and has lived a relatively idyllic childhood in this fic when compared to the other two children (Naruto and Sakura). He has not experienced the life altering trauma of his brother slaughtering their entire clan and then forcing him to relive it in a Genjutsu that trapped him in it for three days and three nights; right now, he's still pretty innocent and absolutely trusting of his clan and family members, as he has been taught to do from infancy.

So, CP!Sasuke is _a bit_ obnoxious at the moment, but as you can see, all that Uchiha pride and arrogance that the elders are trying so hard to instill in him are slowly but surely starting to fold under the combined might of Sakura and Naruto's determination and sincerity. The rest is only a matter of time, yeah?

**xXxXxXxXxX**

And yep, I think that's all I have to add for now. As always, I hope you guys have enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for reading!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

-paws


	12. Chapter 12

**Title:** cabbage patch

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/General/Humor

**Word Count:** 14,014

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #23, cabbage patch

**Rating: **T (Contains content not suitable for children)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Non-massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.

**Created on:** 23/12/11

**Completed on:** 01/05/13

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 06/06/13

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

Itachi watched unobtrusively by the edge of the courtyard as his nine year old brother systematically went through his kata with unflinching accuracy and precision. As expected of the second son of the Uchiha main family, his stance and movements were steady and fluid, exemplifying the Uchiha traditional style of taijutsu that greatly relied on speed and agility. It was obvious that Sasuke had practiced often on his own, and the results of his diligence clearly showed. Despite what the clan elders thought, the boy was brimming with potential and he also possessed the burning drive and determination to succeed, and therefore Itachi had never seen Sasuke as anything less than his younger brother.

Sasuke was more than just the second son, the spare heir, the child who had not been born as gifted as his older brother was. Itachi was aware of what their relatives often said behind their backs, but he had never paid any heed to their whispers because he alone knew the truth. Sasuke was special, and the older Uchiha knew that once his otouto grew out of his need to seek the approval of their clan, once he realized that he didn't have to force himself to follow the rigid path that their family had set out for him, that he didn't always have to care so much about the opinions of others, then Sasuke would definitely find his strength.

Right now though, the younger boy still had quite some ways to go before he reached that point of realization, before he came to terms with himself. It would have been preferable if Sasuke could learn this lesson quickly but his brother was still young and this growth was something that he could only reach by himself. Sasuke had always been a very bright boy, excelling in his studies and was consistently first in his class rankings, but this was something else altogether and required more than just intelligence and genius to comprehend.

Heart. Sasuke would need to understand with his heart before he could open his eyes to see the truth.

It would not be an easy thing to do, because it was a fact that the Uchiha clan did not make it a habit to listen to their hearts.

And so, as always, Itachi could only watch from the sideline as Sasuke struggled to discover himself, unable to help directly but still subtly trying to steer his sibling in the right direction, wordlessly shielding the younger male from the worst of their clan's influence and criticism. He had not always succeeded in that endeavor, but Itachi quietly hoped that Sasuke would understand one day and not be forever blinded by the ambitions and arrogance of their bloodline.

Sasuke's training session drew to an end then, and the boy finally noticed his older brother's presence. Those dark eyes so much like his own widened slightly with surprise and pleasure, and then Sasuke walked over to his sibling.

"Nii-san," the young boy greeted when he was within hearing range. "Weren't you on a mission today?"

"Aa, I was supposed to be, but the assignment was cancelled at the last minute," Itachi replied simply before he changed the subject. "Your taijutsu has improved," the older Uchiha remarked in objective observation, and Sasuke looked secretly pleased with the offhanded compliment. "But you need to be more attentive to your surroundings."

Sasuke gave his brother an exasperated look. "Nii-san," the younger boy spoke out in quiet protest, and Itachi's watchful eyes lightened minutely with quiet affection, much to his younger sibling's chagrin. Sasuke had a feeling that his older brother still often saw him as a little baby, and that was an immensely mortifying notion. True to his thought, Itachi reached out his hand and lightly ruffled Sasuke's unruly hair, and when the indignant boy quickly voiced out his dismay, the quietly amused older Uchiha promptly poked him in the forehead.

Sasuke scowled and pushed his brother's hand away. "Nii-san! I'm not a little kid anymore!"

Itachi did not refute his otouto's claim. "Work hard, Sasuke," he merely told the disgruntled nine year old with patient conviction. "One day, I will be depending on you to help protect Konoha, so do your best."

Sasuke quickly quit sulking and stared at his brother in surprise. Despite his typically prickly nature, a reluctant glow of pride crept onto his features at the older boy's acknowledgement. Sasuke was inwardly happy; his Nii-san believed in his abilities and had expectations of him! When he finally became good enough, then there was no doubt that he would get to fight alongside his much admired sibling. As always, Sasuke found that he could hardly wait for that day to arrive.

The younger boy turned his entire attention over to his ani. "Nii-san, will you train me?" he asked abruptly. "If you train me, I will definitely become the best in next to no time! The sensei in the Academy teaches slower than a tortoise; I already know everything they want us to learn!"

Sasuke was frowning slightly as he iterated his request, but his brother did not appear to be moved by his complaints.

"Don't be rude, Sasuke," Itachi admonished lightly, and his sibling promptly flushed with mild guilt, properly chastised. "The Academy instructors teach at a pace that most benefits the majority of the class, and not just for your sake alone. You must be considerate of others."

"But Nii-san," Sasuke could not help but protest further, barely resisting the urge to pout. "The rest of the class are so slow and take so much time to learn even the most basic concepts. They are all so weak and useless!"

This time, before the younger child could say anything more, his elder brother reached up and flicked him in the forehead. Hard. Surprised by the swiftness and suddenness of the move, Sasuke could only yelp at the unexpected attack and slap his hand over the sore spot in a vain attempt to soothe it. His eyes watered slightly with pain and he immediately stared accusingly at his aniki. "Ow, Nii-san! What was that for?"

The faint disapproval that Sasuke glimpsed in the eyes of his blood kin quickly had him shutting up in astonishment. It was not often that his brother would display overt displeasure towards him; the older boy was usually rather indulging and accommodating towards his younger brother's petulant moods and tantrums, therefore his reaction right now, mild as it was, was a complete surprise to Sasuke.

"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link," Itachi rebuked sharply, much to Sasuke's flinch of shock. "Your classmates will eventually become your teammates and comrades, you will have to work alongside them when you become a shinobi and they will watch over your back just as you do for them; that's the basis of Konoha's teamwork—we don't leave anyone behind, no matter what. If your classmates are not as strong as you wish, then it is your duty as the top of the class to help them get to the point where you need them to be. I don't ever want to hear you say something so thoughtless and irresponsible again, is that clear, Sasuke?"

Itachi's censure stunned his younger brother so much so that Sasuke could only nod silently, stung by his sibling's reprimand. The utter bewilderment on the nine-year old's expression quickly served to temper Itachi's agitation, and the Uchiha heir reigned in his emotions, relenting towards Sasuke once more, this young, ignorant child who still did not know anything about the world but yet was still in such a hurry to grow up.

Itachi sighed inwardly and reached towards Sasuke's forehead once more, ignoring the latter's slight start of wariness to rub at the spot of tender redness that showed starkly against the pale skin of his brother's.

"Forgive me for being too harsh, otouto," the dark-haired teen apologized. "But you will understand someday."

Sasuke scowled slightly at that but did not refute his brother's remark. Itachi continued. "You cannot be so self-centered; not everything is about you, Sasuke, and because we are Uchiha, it is even more important that you do not think like that."

"Because we are from a noble clan?" Sasuke asked then, straight to the point, and in response, Itachi's gaze darkened to something that almost resembled regret. The former did not notice his brother's subtle change of expression, still too young to even suspect that the latter could be discontent given the prestige of his position as well as the abilities he possessed as a powerful ninja.

"Aa," Itachi replied at last. "You and I, we have a responsibility to uphold the honor of our family. Always keep that in mind, Sasuke. We must never stray from this duty."

Poor Sasuke just looked thoroughly confused. "But the elders said that-"

"Sometimes," Itachi interjected calmly, "even the elders can be wrong. They are only human as well and make mistakes just like anyone else. You don't always have to follow their every request blindly." The older brother lightly rapped the top of his sibling's head with his knuckles, much to Sasuke's grumble of protest. "If it doesn't feel right to you, then don't force yourself to change for the sake of their beliefs. You are good enough as you are, Sasuke."

The brotherly affection in his aniki's eyes was very apparent, and Sasuke reluctantly subsided, even though he still wasn't quite sure what exactly his elder sibling was trying to say. With a small smile, Itachi gently ruffled his otouto's hair once more before taking his hand off of the latter's head. "Come; let's go home. It's nearly time for dinner."

The two brothers proceeded to walk out of the training area after stopping briefly at the edge to collect Sasuke's belongings, and then the younger boy suddenly remembered that his brother hadn't answered his question yet.

"Nii-san, so will you train me or not?" the nine-year old asked almost awkwardly.

Itachi glanced askance at his brother. Then, he merely smiled slightly and responded. "Your foundation still needs more work, otouto. Practice harder; I won't train you until you are good enough."

Sasuke frowned, disappointed but not exactly surprised by his brother's answer. "How long more before I become 'good enough,' Nii-san?"

The older Uchiha shook his head slightly. "It won't be long now. When you understand everything I told you today, I'll teach you anything you want. That is, of course, if you still want me to train you."

Sasuke promptly looked rather incredulously at his brother's oddly cryptic response. "What are you talking about, Nii-san! Of course I'd want you to train me no matter what!"

Itachi looked at his sibling; his mildly watchful expression seemed to indicate that he knew more of Sasuke's personality than the boy was aware of himself. "We will see," he merely replied in a calmly serene, knowing manner. "Now, let's head home faster; Haha-ue will be wondering why we are so late otherwise."

* * *

Beads of perspiration trickled down Sakura's temple as the young girl determinedly kept her fingers in the Ram sign and concentrated on molding her chakra continuously through her body. It was one of the chakra building exercises that the Academy sensei had recommended she practice on when she had asked for tips on how to increase her chakra reserves, and although it wasn't very hard to do, maintaining a constant flow of chakra through her body for long periods of time required more focus and energy than the young girl had expected, but she resolutely took on the challenge all the same. There was no other choice; she and Naruto had made a promise to Sasuke, and the nine year old was determined to keep it for the sake of their friendship.

It was not easy though; in fact, it was turning out to be one of the hardest things that the pink-haired girl had ever done. The Goukakyuu no Jutsu required more chakra than she had in her entire body; the sensei in school had direly warned her not to attempt the technique with her current level of ability when she had asked, gravely informing her that if she did, she would surely die of chakra exhaustion. The only alternative left was to try to increase her chakra levels through chakra control exercises, but progress was slow with her limited energy and stamina and Sakura was becoming increasingly anxious as time passed blithely and the date when they were supposed to prove their worth to Sasuke drew nearer and nearer. The week in which they had assured Sasuke that they would definitely pick up the Goukakyuu would be over in a few more days and at the rate she was going, it was going to take a miracle to pull off the promise. The worrying notion was enough to disrupt the girl's concentration and force her to temporarily abort her chakra exercise.

Breathing heavily from her exertions, Sakura wilted slightly with disappointment and tried to clear her head before she attempted the exercise once more. Absently, the girl glanced across the clearing to observe the progress of her training partner and was not very surprised to see Naruto scowling as he sat under a tree and looking rather cross with himself. Practicing chakra control exercises was not Naruto's forte after all; it was all he could do to sit still for brief minutes as it was—to expect the antsy, hyperactive young blonde to do so for entire stretches of time would be nothing short of asking for a miracle. Even though Naruto had no lack of chakra at his disposal, the boy was absolute rubbish at controlling the massive stores of energy lurking within his body and therefore often had trouble using even the most basic of Ninjutsu at times, which meant that he needed to practice the same chakra exercises just as much as she needed to if he wished to successfully perform the Goukakyuu.

Unfortunately, Naruto was reaching the end of his tether when it came to the tedious, boring, repetitive exercises. The golden-haired fox boy could not understand why he was not allowed to just throw caution to the wind and try out the katon jutsu outright, not realizing the dangerous combination of his atrocious control coupled with his monstrously immense chakra stores was a recipe for disaster on the Ninjutsu front. With his current level of aptitude (or rather, _inaptitude_), even a mild, C-rank technique like the Goukakyuu would easily rage out of control and turn into a fiery inferno that would easily engulf an entire training ground under his less than effective command.

Of course, Naruto did not know or care about such boring semantics. He was a child of action and he wanted to do something right now, not sit around, twiddle his thumbs, and waste his time trying to be 'in harmony with his inner energy,' whatever that meant. Decision made, the boy jumped up onto his feet with a fiercely determined expression on his cute, whiskered face, his sudden action startling his best friend from across the clearing though the look on his face and the firm nod that he had executed so decisively quickly told her that he was going to do something rash again. The pink-haired nine-year old hurriedly scrambled to her feet as well, alarm encroaching onto her sweet, girlish features even before her blonde friend boldly announced his intention to the world.

"That's it! This chakra training exercise is stupid! It's not helping at all! I bet I can do the Goukakyuu even without all this! In fact, I'm gonna do it now; just watch me, Sakura-chan! I will prove to teme that we can be just as good as he is!"

And then, with the same determined air around him, he proceeded to school his face into a constipated grimace of concentration, a rather comical expression that Sakura would have found laughter-inducing if not for the rather dire situation of Naruto trying to do something extremely risky and dangerous _again_. Before Sakura's momentarily stunned form, her impulsive training partner clumsily started to form the six hand seals that Sasuke had taught them, focusing so hard on his task and gathering so much chakra that the boy's entire being briefly _glowed_ blue with energy, something that Sakura momentarily gawked at with incredulity and awe until she abruptly remembered that he was planning to pour all that raw, unfettered power into a mere C-rank jutsu, and she most definitely did not recall Sasuke pulling out so much chakra that it manifested _outside_ his body when he had performed the same technique.

Bright green eyes widened with alarm; Sakura wasn't exactly sure what would happen if Naruto actually managed to pull off the jutsu with the amount of chakra he was using, but instinct told her that the end results would likely be quite catastrophic, considering that she was literally standing in her friend's direct line of fire and in his determination to pull off the Goukakyuu, he seemed to have completely forgotten her position.

"Naruto, stop!" the pink-haired girl cried out, trying to implore her friend to abort the jutsu before it was too late. "Don't do it; it's dangerous-!"

But it was clearly too late for Naruto to withdraw his intention. The hand seals were already performed, the chakra molded. The rapidly expanding pressure of energy within the boy's chakra circulatory system straining to be released suddenly became overwhelming, and Naruto's eyes turned round when he realized the mistake that he had just made. He was unable to control the vast swell of energy trying to rush out of his body all at once, eagerly attempting to surge up his trachea, the volatile mixture of air and chakra ready to ignite into unquenchable flames the moment there was an opportunity to escape his body. Naruto's cheeks bulged with the effort to suppress the overpowering, outward regurgitation of high pressured, converted fire chakra that threatened to spew out of his mouth but he was unable to hold it in for long, and trying to swallow back the supercharged energy would prove to be suicidal as the ensuing flames would surely _cook_ the boy alive from the inside out.

Everything was happening too quickly for Sakura to react. Frozen by shock and disbelief, there wasn't enough time for the young girl to attempt to get away when a _massive_ ball of blazing fire erupted from her friend's mouth, and wide emerald eyes grew even larger with fear when the uncontrolled flame wasted no time rushing towards her, gaining speed and increasing further in size as it swiftly approached. The heat and the intensity of the Katon jutsu was simply overwhelming, and in the mere seconds it took to near her, it had grown to roughly the size of a house. In the background, she thought she could hear Naruto's hoarse yells of panic as he screamed her name. Terror struck, Sakura could do nothing else but to throw her hands up in an instinctive act of self-defense and squeeze her eyes shut, waiting for the impact and the pain to hit her.

One moment, she was standing right in the unstoppable path of a fiery destruction mistakenly unleashed by her best friend, and the next, it felt as though she had just been side slammed by a rampaging elephant. Heart pounding in her chest and momentarily dazed, it took the young girl a few moments to realize that she had been saved. Someone had leapt to her rescue in the split moment before the Goukakyuu would have hit her, quickly appearing by her side to grab her and then hauling her to safety a short distance away even as the huge fireball roared by with an inertia forceful enough to smash into the dozen or so trees behind her, ending with a resounding explosion that sent huge flames flaring sky high.

When her unknown rescuer finally let go of her, Sakura was shaking so hard from the near miss that her wobbling legs gave way immediately and she fell on her backside with a painful thump. Naruto was at her side immediately, wheezing and frantic, reaching out to grab her with shaking hands damp with cold sweat, hoarsely calling out her name again and again in fright, unending tears of panic and terror filling his wide blue eyes and flowing down his cheeks in acute distress. Even through the loud, heart racing jolt of adrenaline that sent white noise rushing through her ears, the sheer depth of her friend's guilt and anguish was impossible to miss, and Sakura immediately reacted to his feverish, emotional pain.

Naruto was beyond _distraught_. The young boy was trembling so hard that it was a miracle he could still speak. He had not understood the impact of his hasty, unthinking actions earlier until they had been executed and it was far too late to snatch them back, and the next few seconds that had followed after had been some of the longest, most terrifying ones he had experienced in his entire nine years of life. The dawning sense of fear when he first realized that he could not control the jutsu rapidly crystallized into sick comprehension and mind numbing terror when he saw that Sakura-chan was standing right in the trajectory of the huge fireball (that was still rapidly building in mass and speed) and he could do nothing but watch with horror.

_He had almost killed his best friend_.

The frenetic tears would not stop falling even now that she was safe, and the huge lump of relief shoved deep into his gut was both painful and welcoming at the same time. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan! I'm sorry…! I'M SORRY! I- I didn't me-mean to…I- I didn't k-kn-know that the ju-jutsu- I ALMOST KILLED YOU!"

And that hurt more than anything that could have been done to him. She was so precious to him; his first friend, his best friend – _family_ – and he didn't know what he would have done if that fireball had hit her-

"SAKURA-CHAN, I'M SORRY!"

He was sobbing so hard by now that his shoulders were shaking from the force of it. His tears and snot flowed all over his face, his childish features clenched with such agonizing distress and suffering that it hurt Sakura to just watch. Naruto looked so utterly heartbroken, and the honest guilt displayed so openly on his stricken face spoke volumes for his current repentant state of mind. He was truly remorseful, and this was a lesson he would never forget, that actions had consequences, and that he must never, _never_, just think of himself anymore whenever he decided to do things that could affect others as well.

Sakura felt her eyes growing wet as well in an empathetic response to the golden-haired boy's traumatic cries. Naruto was already beating himself up fiercely over his unthinking actions and she did not have the heart to be angry at him, not when it was obvious that he had not meant to put her in danger like that.

"D-don't cry, Naruto!" she insisted. "I'm not hurt, see? I know you didn't mean it. I'm okay and I'm not angry. Please, don't cry anymore or I will cry also!" And she really would too, being still shaky from the close shave that she had just had.

"S-sorry…" Naruto blubbered noisily again, face still wet with tears. His best friend, the girl he secretly regarded as closely as a blood sister, reached out to him and tried to wipe away the traces of sadness from his whiskered features. The boy's breath hitched softly at the unimaginably gentle gesture of kindness and forgiveness, and for a moment, he looked like he was going to start bawling once more, only to pull himself together in the end and give her a small, wobbly grin instead. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan," he repeated once more, sincerity and determination evident in his tone. "_I'm sorry_. I won't- I will _never_ do anything like this ever again. Promise."

Because it would kill him to cause her harm, and even young as he was, Naruto understood implicitly that he would rather die than let something like that happen. For the young orphan, there was nothing in this world that was worth hurting Sakura-chan over and just thinking of it made his heart ache like it was going to break into a million pieces. She was the sister he never had, a part of a family he had always secretly dreamed he belonged to, and therefore it was unacceptable for her to be hurt.

"…sorry…" he could not help but apologize again, feeling so bitterly ashamed of himself that he thought he might die from it. Sakura's wide green eyes softened with understanding and sympathy, showing him without words that he was already forgiven. "I'm the biggest dumbass in the world and I shouldn't have tried that at all, huh?"

Before Sakura could answer, another voice spoke in her stead, unceremoniously reminding them of the presence of their unknown rescuer who had saved them both from what would have been a horrifying and deadly experience.

"Maa, and this is why little kids should not play with fire, hm?"

The two children jerked in surprise, then quickly turned their heads to stare at the source of the nonchalantly casual remark.

It was a Konoha nin, and at the familiar sight of the Leaf insignia on the hitai-ite, most of the jittery tension quickly left the pair of young Academy students. They didn't recognize the identity of the ninja who had managed leap to their aid in such a timely fashion, but the fact that he had done so was enough for both of them, Naruto in particular. Wiping away the lingering remnants of tears with the back of his arm, the golden-haired boy hastily jumped to his feet and turned towards the man, and even though his eyes were still red and puffy from his earlier bout of 'uncool' crying (in the presence of an adult, no less), nothing but intense gratitude shone in his earnest, sky blue gaze as he stared straight at the tall, partially masked stranger with the messy ash grey hair and the single dark, droopy eye. Mustering the handful of lessons in courtesy and social etiquette that had been shoved into his head by various individuals over the years, the little fox boy bowed deeply at the waist, so much so that his entire upper torso was parallel to the ground.

"T-thank you very much for saving Sakura-chan, mister!" he barked fiercely, his hands clenched into fists and held rigidly by his sides as he remained in his bow. Sakura gawked at her friend; she had never seen him respond so politely and sincerely to anyone before, let alone to adults whom he was usually quite wary of, even though he usually tried hard not to show it. That made his action now all the more profound to the insightful young girl, and the fact that her best friend _cared_ so much about her made her feel immensely happy and lucky at the same time. Not to be outdone, the pink-haired kunoichi-in-training scrabbled to her feet beside Naruto and bowed just as deeply to the Konoha nin.

"Thank you very much for helping us, nin-san!" she echoed with fervent, grateful candor, before a more worrying thought occurred to her and made her brow knit with growing apprehension. She lifted her head quickly to look at the man with huge beseeching eyes. "Also, please, please don't tell the Academy! We will be in so much trouble!"

And Naruto hardly needed the extra attention from the Academy instructors; he already stood out all too often enough with his many pranks and various antics that for some incomprehensible reason or another really irked the adults; incurring further wrath from the teachers now when the qualifying exams for the next grade were around the corner would surely doom her friend to repeat his current level of studies. Beside her, she could feel Naruto go tense at the realization of exactly just how much trouble he was in right now, but even though beads of nervous perspiration were raining down his face, the usually loud and vocal boy said not a word in his own defense, nor did he move out of his bow.

Hatake Kakashi eyed the two young children before him with mild bemusement. This was not exactly what he was expecting when he had meandered into this quiet, out of the way training ground for some peaceful reading time away from Gai and his usual insanity. This particular part of the woods was usually deserted and seldom used by his fellow nin, and he had certainly been surprised when he sensed the presence of a pair of kids when he first arrived. He hadn't had the chance to figure out what they were doing so far out past the outskirts of the village; all of a sudden, there was an alarming surge of chakra and then he had reached the edge of the clearing just in time to witness the tail end of a Goukakyuu gone spectacularly wrong. Thankfully enough, he happened to be an elite shinobi, and therefore it had taken him less than a fraction of a second to process the situation before him and to formulate a corresponding course of action to follow, and here they were, mere minutes later, a significant portion of the trees still smoking half a field away (the raging fire extinguished from his quick application of Suiton: Teppodama no jutsu) and the two children almost prostrate before him with gratitude.

He had recognized the blonde one almost right away. The messy, bright gold minted hair. Those eyes with their particular arresting shade of blue. That unique whiskered features that only one child in this entire world could rightly possess.

His sensei's son.

To the infamous Copy-nin's credit, he revealed no outward sign of shock whatsoever at this abrupt chance meeting with the boy. He was surprised, yes – the child was significantly older compared to the last time Kakashi had seen him, when the former was barely two years of age, still toddling about clumsily in the Third's office and putting everything he could get his little hands on in his mouth.

_How quickly Time had flown._

In what had seemed like the blink of an eye, that same tiny, fragile child back then had already grown so much. It was almost unbelievable; in a little less than a year, it would have been an entire decade since the Nine Tails had been sealed and defeated.

Ten years since the last member of his team – _his family_ – had died.

On some days, it still didn't feel like it had been long enough. Time was too insignificant a bandage to seal that particular wound in his heart.

Standing before him now was the one and only legacy of the man whom he had once loved like a father, and just seeing the child's resemblance to that man was enough to evoke the memories that Kakashi would rather keep suppressed and smothered at the furthest recesses of his mind. He understood intrinsically that his loss wasn't the boy's fault, that the kid was most likely the one most shortchanged in this entire messy state of affairs, but it wasn't as if he could control the path of his thoughts and reactions. Still, Kakashi had never gone out of his way to avoid the youngster; he just never made it a point to deliberately seek out his sensei's son either and before he knew it, the years had passed and now, here they were once again.

The girl was looking at him with eyes turned wide with worry and nervousness, whereas the boy – _Naruto_, Kakashi finally acknowledged in his mind – was still staring hard at the ground, still folded determinedly in a deep bow. It was quite apparent that the child had a lot of his mother in him despite his physical resemblance to his father, judging by his loud, emotional mannerisms and brash actions, and somehow, the stark reminder that this boy was the offspring of Kushina-nee-san and his sensei didn't feel like such a harsh slap to the face anymore.

The tension in his gut eased, and Kakashi smiled. The small, upward twitch of his lips was not readily apparent behind the dark blue cloth mask that concealed the bottom half of his face, but the way his only visible eye was closed in a friendly upside down 'U' was enough to convince the young girl before him to tentatively return his genial response. A tiny, hesitant smile appeared on the pink-haired child's features as she slowly straightened out of her bow, and that quickly changed into a solid beam of relief when she heard his reply.

"I'm not on duty today, so you kids are safe this time."

The huge, grateful smile that the girl gave him was almost blinding in its intensity, and even the boy was slowly coming out of his rigid obeisance, looking up at him with a strange wariness, as if he found this just too good to be true, that he didn't quite believe that Kakashi would keep his word.

"Yokatta! Thank you, nin-san!" the pink-haired child cried out, the relief on her face palpable as she turned to her best friend to share a reassuring smile with him. But Naruto appeared oddly cautious and hesitant as he continued to stare at the tall, silver-haired man, and sensing his guarded reticence, Sakura instinctively stepped closer to the boy, as if trying to offer some form of support by way of her presence. Her smile faded slightly and she looked at the Konoha shinobi in a sharper, more intently observant light, her earlier delighted countenance disappearing slowly. "Anou…do you really promise, nin-san? You really won't tell?" she asked at last, her tone and wording polite as ever, but there was no ignoring the quiet wariness that had crept into her words.

The careful look in the girl's eyes, combined with the reserved, quiet distrust of his sensei's son, was enough to clue in Kakashi to the fact that something was not quite right here. The boy – _Naruto, his name is Naruto_, Kakashi had to remind himself again – had been loud and bursting with emotions earlier but was now unnaturally quiet and watching him – a fellow citizen of Konoha – like he could be a potential foe. The ANBU Captain did not like the implications of his observations but brushed that aside for now. He lowered himself down to a crouch in order to be on eye level with the two children, attempting to come across as more approachable to the youngsters.

"Aa, I won't tell. Promise," he told them solemnly, making sure to meet their gazes unflinchingly so as to show that he truly meant his words. His strategy worked, for after a while, Naruto slowly lost his cagey, guarded demeanor and started to fidget. Those bright blue eyes were still studying Kakashi's intently for any signs of deceit, or recognition that he was '_that boy_' whom the villagers never failed to glare at and whisper bad things about, but he was giving out no such indications whatsoever, and in the end, Naruto relaxed. A small, sheepish smile spread on that young, whiskered face, and then the boy spoke.

"Thank you, mister!" he replied carefully, trying to be as polite as he could. He didn't know why this stranger was being so nice to him, but he wasn't going to risk jinxing his unexpected good luck all the same. "I 'preciate it very much."

Judging by the surprised look the girl was giving her friend, Kakashi could easily discern that nine year old Naruto was usually not so well-behaved and respectful in front of others. It was somewhat amusing that this miniature version of his sensei was trying so hard to be good right now, and also quite telling that the boy thought that he had to do so just to receive any sort of positive interaction from an adult.

Thinking quickly, Kakashi made up his mind. He had come here originally for some quiet reading time, but it wasn't as if he could not find other opportunities to read at a later time. He smiled at the kids in an amiable and friendly manner, mindful not to come across as threatening to them.

"You two want to tell me what you are trying to do with a Katon jutsu?"

He didn't sound like he was going to be mad or as if he was going to scold them for what they had done. If anything, he just sounded mildly curious. Sakura and Naruto stared at him, and then slowly at each other when the significance of his presence finally dawned on them. A real Konoha ninja, and he was speaking to them, actually taking the time to pay attention to them! Maybe, if they asked nicely and politely enough, then perhaps he would be willing to help them figure out the Goukakyuu no Jutsu!

Excitement lit up their eyes, and then the two children were smiling hopefully at each other in tandem. What good luck they had; they'd be all set if they could convince him to support their cause. The duo exchanged another look, and then Naruto nodded subtly; by unspoken agreement, Sakura was to be their official spokesperson – she was clever and polite and looked so darned cute that the adults always took quickly to her – that was more than Naruto could claim for himself, at any rate.

The nine-year old girl looked at the tall, silver-haired man with something akin to determination and admiration. The shinobi had been so amazingly fast just now when he had snatched her away from danger, it made sense that he must be quite powerful as well. She did not know if he would be willing to help them out though; he did not know them at all, and furthermore, they were both still Academy students and technically civilians to boot. It was lucky enough that he wasn't going to report them for the misfired Goukakyuu – civilians weren't really allowed to use jutsu that were higher than D-ranked – but despite all that, Sakura still gathered up all her wits and courage and prepared herself to ask the stranger for assistance. This person could well be their last hope at successfully learning the Katon jutsu that both she and Naruto had promised Sasuke, and the knowledge that her actions and conduct would determine whether if the nin-san would oblige to their request weighed on her like a heavy cloak, making her feel more nervous than she should.

In all likelihood, he would probably reject their request out of hand – it was what any responsible adult would do, after all – but nevertheless, she had to _try_. To do anything else would mean that she and Naruto were prepared to give up on Sasuke – that they did not think that their friend was worth putting in all their effort for, and Sakura knew that the both of them would do anything but let that happen.

_Because friendship was precious_, the most precious, wonderful gift that someone could give – the feeling of a thousand suns glowing in your heart, the joy of knowing that there was someone to share your happiness and sadness with. There was nothing better than having a friend around; without friendship, there will be no bonds between people, _and being alone was the worst feeling in this world. _

It was something both Naruto and herself understood implicitly, therefore, they would never give up on Sasuke no matter what.

Swallowing down her apprehension and nervousness, the young kunoichi-in-training squared her shoulders, turned her earnest, gently imploring gaze onto her savior and quietly explained their dilemma.

"Um, you see-"

* * *

Two days later, Naruto and Sakura could be found in the quiet, out of the way park that they had first met each other in nearly half a decade ago. The old, faded playground that the two children used to play together in was completely devoid of life today; the entire park itself was peacefully quiet, not a sign of human presence to be detected for as far as the eye could see. Despite the serene atmosphere, there was a quiet tension in the air between the two young ninja wannabes, an almost disheartening aura that seemed to press heavily down upon the pair like a funeral shroud.

Tomorrow would mark the day they would have to show Sasuke the result of all of their blood, toil, tears and sweat – proof that they were worthy to claim the title of being his friends, good enough to stand by his side – but they both knew that for all of their unflinching hard work and ceaseless dedication, it was _still_ _not enough, not yet. _They had already done everything humanly possible and exhausted every available avenue that they could lay their hands on. The theoretical aspect of what they had to do had been memorized back to front and front to back by Sakura and then thoroughly, painstakingly, digested, simplified and broken down so that even Naruto could understand what he had to do, why he had to do it and how to get it done. The problem now laid in the execution of the jutsu itself, and that depended fully on their respective individual abilities, and there was nothing else left to learn from anyone, no more advice that they could glean from teachers and helpful strangers that could help solve their dilemma anymore.

They were on their own now, and _they still could not do it_.

Naruto's chakra control was still so bad that he didn't even dare to think of attempting the Goukakyuu, let alone _try_ – his last experience had been enough to traumatize the impulsive nine year old for a good, long while to come, and even though he no longer complained as bitterly about the chakra exercises that he had to work on, his control over his overly abundant reservoir of chakra was still shoddy at best, and completely unmanageable at worst. On the other hand, Sakura herself still wasn't able to develop enough chakra to use for the jutsu – no matter how much effort she had already put into it. The two children were visibly exhausted from their endless labors, trying and trying and trying for every moment they could spare, but with no tangible results that they could make use of. Time was running out, and desperation was starting to become palpable now, an insistent, gnawing anxiety that plagued their awareness constantly, adding to their already considerable stress.

There was just so much at stake here, and even though Naruto had been going to school all dirt streaked and visibly scruffy these days and Sakura was beginning to look unhealthily pale and bore dark smudges under her eyes, the two children determinedly soldiered through their discomforts, filled only with the single minded purpose of mastering the Great Fireball technique. Neither Sakura nor Naruto made any effort to acknowledge the fact that tomorrow would be the day of reckoning, although the way they had wordlessly stepped up their already feverish training spoke for itself.

Sakura bit her lip hard enough to cause it to bleed when she could not seem to focus on the chakra exercise she had been attempting, trying to use pain to center her concentration. It worked briefly, but her vision started to swim from exhaustion – clearly, three hours of sleep a day was not enough for a developing nine year old – and at last she squeezed her eyes shut in a bid to pull herself together, hands still molded in a rigid Ram sign, not daring to let go for fear that she would lose it altogether if she did.

"Sakura-chan. Hey, Sakura-chan? You okay?" Naruto's worried whisper jolted her back to her senses. She opened her eyes wearily to meet the fox boy's worried features. It seemed that Naruto had finally noticed her exhausted condition, and the dismay on his face was apparent to see. Sakura forced herself to straighten from her earlier drooping wilt and gave her best friend a wan, slightly wobbly smile.

"…Yeah, I'm okay," she insisted quietly, licking her cracked lips as she did so. "I'm just a bit…tired."

"Then, you wanna rest for a while first?" Naruto asked solemnly. Sakura shook her head. She rubbed vigorously at her eyes, forcibly drawing a deep, rousing breath as she did so.

"No, can't," Sakura refused almost immediately. "No time. We need to…learn the Goukakyuu no jutsu…"

There, a huge yawn interrupted her speech, and it left her blinking blearily when she was done.

Naruto was _very_ concerned. Sakura-chan didn't look very good to him right now; she was so pale that even her lips had no color, and her eyes kept trying to flutter shut. She just looked so tired, and the golden-haired boy shook his head at last, putting his feet down for the first time when it came to his pink-haired friend.

"Sakura-chan, I think you need a nap," the bewhiskered boy insisted in a firm but childishly determined manner, trying his best to emulate the serious and stern tone that he had heard adults use when they fully expected to be heeded. The resolve on his face quickly gave way to uncertain anxiety when he saw how exhausted she looked. "Maybe, just a quick one? Maybe you will feel better after?"

Sakura looked at her fox faced best friend dazedly. "But you too…you haven't been sleeping either, right…Naruto? You are working so hard, too." Sakura gave Naruto a tired but admiring look. "You are awesome, Naruto."

The young boy flushed at his friend's honest praise, but then he shook his head quickly. "N-no, Sakura-chan, I'm not! I-I'm not awesome or anything! I'm really stupid, so I need to work harder to get things, okay? Not like you; you are so smart and clever and amazing, you will definitely get the hang of this jutsu very soon!" His earnest, enthusiastic voice lowered then. "But first, I think you should rest for a while. At least half an hour, okay? I will wake you, so you won't miss much." Before Sakura could say a word, Naruto blurted out again, this time showing his worry via those large puppy-like eyes that were endlessly blue like the most stunning sapphires. "Please, Sakura-chan?"

The pink-haired girl silently gave in to her friend's heartfelt request. There was nothing else to say, not when he was looking so concerned for her.

"I…okay. Okay," she conceded quietly, the small amount of fight that she had left fizzling right out of her. "You are right, Naruto. I feel really sleepy. Maybe a short nap will let me concentrate better. You will wake me up?"

"Yeah, and that's a promise!" And they both knew that Naruto never went back on his promises.

Content with the strong reassurance, Sakura leaned back against the trunk of the tree that they had been practicing their chakra control under all this while, curling into a comfortable nook and closing her eyes. The weather was just nice for a snooze, warm but not overly so, with the occasional passing zephyr ruffling her hair and cooling her skin. Yes, a quick nap would be very nice indeed.

"And Naruto?"

"Yes, Sakura-chan?"

"You are not stupid, _stupid_. Don't ever say something like that again, or I will really get mad."

Sakura did not see it, but the look Naruto gave his best friend there and then was nothing short of worshipful. For the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, there would be no one who could be as dear to him as this girl here. Sakura-chan would always hold a special place in his heart; she was his first friend and his best friend and her trust and faith in him always made his chest ache in the good way. She was like a wonderful, piping hot bowl of savory ramen, and made him feel warm, fuzzy, and so, _so_, happy – _precious_ – she was so very precious to him, and not for the first time, Naruto thought that this must be what it was like to have a family.

As always, it made him want to cry.

"O-okay, Sakura-chan!"

As if she could hear the happiness in his voice, her lips curved in a small smile.

"…Thanks, Naruto. You are the best."

And in less than a blink of an eye, she had nodded off, her strained, tired features relaxing into peaceful repose as she slipped into blessed slumber. Her friend watched her sleep with a mixture of protective worry and familial affection. Sakura-chan was pushing herself so hard so as to keep their promise with Sasuke no baka, but of course the moron was never around to appreciate how much effort they were putting into this endeavor just so that they could rightfully call him _friend_. It wasn't right, Naruto thought with a small frown, even he could tell that friendship like that was _bad_, and someone had obviously taught teme wrongly when it came to this important matter. Looking at the exhausted features of Sakura-chan, Naruto really wanted to be angry with that stupid fuzzy hair for making them do this, but a promise was a promise and it wasn't as if the Uchiha boy had forced them to accept his challenge.

Still, Naruto decided unhappily, teme was _definitely_ going to have to relearn everything he knew about being a good friend when both he and Sakura-chan finally forced him to admit that they were _his_.

Because for all of his supposed 'genius,' Sasuke was really, really shitty as a friend.

Disgruntled, the young Nine Tails vessel returned his focus to his other best friend. Now, what to do with Sakura-chan? She had looked so exhausted and pale, and he had barely managed to convince her to take a short break. He would have to wake her up soon though – he had promised, after all – but even Naruto knew as much that the half an hour rest would not be enough, and as wonderful and as perfect as Sakura-chan was, she could also be very stubborn and determined when she wanted to, and Naruto never could say no to Sakura-chan for long when she wanted to do something.

It was obvious that he would need some help here, and it was a good thing that Naruto knew just who to ask it from.

_Itachi nii-sama would definitely know what to do._

* * *

When Sakura woke up after what seemed like a few hours later, the sky had already turned dusky pink, and it took the tired, still groggy child long minutes to realize just where she was and what she was doing there.

Sakura's eyes widened and she jerked upright, distress flooding her features. Oh no! What time was it? How could she have slept for so long-

A small movement at the edge of her peripheral vision quickly brought her attention to her side, and there, the nine year old gawked in surprise at the person she found sitting beside her.

"I-Itachi-kun?" she mouthed in disbelief, and then, just a little beyond them, still under the same tree, sprawled a snoring Naruto, completely passed out and dead to the world as his limbs were splayed every which way. Visibly confused, Sakura turned her attention back to the quietly watchful gaze of the Uchiha _tensai_ once again, not understanding why exactly she was looking at the older boy. "Am I still dreaming…?"

She looked so utterly bewildered that Itachi was compelled to ease her confusion. "Naruto-kun appeared at the ANBU Headquarters not a long while ago. He mentioned that you were unwell," the stoic teenager explained his presence simply, dark eyes running over her still pale features and shadowed eyes. His concern was apparent. "How are you feeling, Sakura?"

The pink-haired girl immediately responded to the young ANBU Captain's query. She nodded quickly. "I'm fine, Itachi-kun, really!" she insisted when he gave her a contemplative look. "I'm okay. I was a little tired just now…but I feel better now." Sakura looked up at the darkening sky in chagrin and then she frowned halfheartedly over at Naruto, who was still snoring thunderously away. "Naruto was supposed to wake me up a lot earlier, though…"

"Naruto-kun tried to rouse you," Itachi replied then, his quiet tone composed and sedate as ever. "But you wouldn't respond. That's why he came to me." The look of panic on Naruto's face when the boy had found him had been alarming, and the rushed ramblings of the incoherent child had been enough to compel the Uchiha heir to excuse himself from his organization to see to Sakura's wellbeing for himself.

The young kunoichi-in-training immediately felt bad for causing alarm to her friends. A flush of chagrin crept onto the pink-haired girl's cheeks, and she lowered her head in shame.

"…Sorry, Itachi-kun," Sakura whispered. Her remorseful gaze fell on Naruto's sleeping form for a moment, and then met Itachi's, glimmering with wholehearted earnestness that only she could accomplish. "I didn't mean to make any of you worry about me, and I'm really okay, so don't fret anymore…alright?" There, Sakura took a deep breath and summoned her largest, brightest smile at her friend.

Silence met her brave, determined declaration.

Itachi's sharp, watchful gaze narrowed minutely, and there and then, Sakura knew immediately that the older boy had not bought her attempt to downplay her misery, not even for a single second. Her huge smile faltered. The Uchiha heir did not call her out on her lie though, merely closed his eyes briefly, and for a distressful, painful moment, Sakura felt as though she had disappointed him somehow, and her heart squeezed painfully at the unbearable thought. However, before the girl could say anything, he opened his eyes again and simply _looked _at her, his straightforward, calmly intent gaze piercing hers with unspoken understanding that her eyes started to water involuntarily at his gentle _kindness_.

That look in his eyes was more comforting to her than anything else he could say. Sakura had to bite down hard on her lips to keep from crying there and then.

Slowly, Itachi reached out towards her and laid his hand on her head. His quiet, unwavering support was warm and tangible against the crown of her head, and Sakura let out a loud sniffle.

"Sakura."

Her name was all he had to say to get her outwardly strong façade to crumble, and screwing her eyes shut, Sakura shook her head fiercely and willed herself not to cry. She did not resist when he drew her towards him though, instead leaning trustingly towards him and allowing him to tuck her head against his shoulder. Her small, young body shook faintly with exhaustion and stress against his own, but she made not a peep.

Itachi suppressed an inward sigh. Sometimes he forgot that she was five years his junior, so much younger than her level of maturity portrayed her to be. He knew that she had been working very hard to improve herself ever since he had asked it of her, had silently watched as she constantly struggled to surpass her own physical limits.

She had shed countless tears of pain and frustration as she fought valiantly against her own instincts and the constant aches of her strained body as both persuaded her to stop tormenting herself with the deadening, repetitive bone aching physical exercises that she so desperately needed. She was only a young girl, still at an age where most kunoichi-to-be tended to not take their training seriously if they trained at all, and she was a civilian child who was clearly not specifically bred and deliberately conditioned from birth for a ninja lifestyle like most clan born shinobi and kunoichi. Yet, she was still trying her best, giving her all to advance herself, even when all of her best efforts seemed to yield so little return and, dispiritingly enough, barely any visible improvements to show for all of her sacrifices so far.

Now, there were near constant scrapes and bruises that decorated various parts of her skinny limbs as a result of her toiling physical training, but her struggles were not entirely in vain. She was getting stronger; that much he could discern – her young body felt much sturdier now compared to nearly a year ago, and even though she may not realize it herself, she was beginning to carry herself with more confidence, becoming less timid and hesitant as she gained better physical abilities.

The pink-haired child drew a deep, shaky breath against his neck, still trembling slightly, but she did not cry. Itachi allowed her to compose herself against him, and then, when she was ready, he let her pull back, and this time, when she smiled at him, a tiny, tentatively wobbly one but completely genuine this time, his quietly distant gaze softened slightly.

"Sorry, Itachi-kun," Sakura quietly apologized. Then, she shook her head, as if that was not the right thing she wanted to say. "No, I mean, thank you!"

He merely looked at her. "Tell me what's troubling you, Sakura."

This time, the small smile on Sakura's face hardly wavered as she shook her head at him once again. "No, nothing is troubling me, Itachi-kun! Well…" she hesitated. "…there's something that I'm not very sure about, but I will have to figure it out on my own! So, don't worry, okay?"

Itachi frowned imperceptibly. "…Something you need to figure out on your own?" he enquired carefully.

Sakura nodded.

"Uhn! Naruto and I made a promise! So we have to keep it."

Itachi briefly eyed the sleeping form of the golden-haired boy in question. He had wondered at Naruto's exhausted condition earlier, but the usually forthright boy had been surprisingly closed mouthed about the matter, and it seemed that Sakura was following suit. "A promise?"

Sakura nodded once more, this time more determinedly. "Yes, Itachi-kun. We must learn to do this by ourselves if we want to keep our promise."

Her reply was telling enough, and judging by her physical condition, he could more or less accurately speculate on the conditions for fulfilling their promise. The fact that it was important enough for the two young children to push themselves to the brink of exhaustion made Itachi wonder just how high the stakes were, but the resolve he could see burning in Sakura's eyes curbed the questions sitting on his tongue. They had obviously already made up their minds, and he would not interfere with whatever they were doing unless absolutely necessary.

The Uchiha heir inclined his head slightly in understanding. "Very well," he told the pink-haired child in his usual gentle manner. "Do your best then, Sakura."

The quiet conviction in his voice made the young girl's smile turn a tad brighter. "Uhn!" Then, she hesitated, looking briefly uncertain before she made up her mind. "Anou, Itachi-kun, do you know any exercises that can help quickly increase a person's chakra pool?"

Judging by the hopeful look on her face, it was quite apparent why she was asking that question. Sakura elaborated all the same. "The sensei in the Academy has only taught us the leaf exercise, and I have been practicing really hard, but it's not helping…" the young kunoichi-to-be sounded rather frustrated with her lack of progress and Itachi studied her briefly.

"Show me," he replied in the end, turning to face her completely. Sakura was only too glad to do so, quickly grabbing a handful of newly fallen leaves on the ground around them and sticking them over various tenketsu points all over her limbs, head and torso, a look of concentration entering her bright emerald gaze as she did so. The leaves stuck on her effortlessly, and then she clambered to her feet and looked expectantly at Itachi.

He was not surprised to see that she had already mastered the exercise. It was a fact that women had better chakra control than men, and young as Sakura was, her level of control was already on par of that of most active kunoichi. Already, he could tell that she was going to be incredibly adept at whichever ninja field she chose to specialize in the future; her natural talent in chakra control was extremely rare, and she would be an incredible asset to the village once she could master herself and properly build up her physical abilities.

"Am I doing it wrong, Itachi-kun?" Sakura asked unsurely, her brow wrinkling. "Sensei wouldn't teach us any other chakra exercises, so I really tried my best with this one."

Itachi slowly stood up as well.

"Your level of chakra control is too advanced for you to gain anything from this exercise," he told her. "That is why you are not seeing any progress."

Sakura looked hopefully at her older friend. "How can I get stronger then, Itachi-kun?"

He glanced at her.

"Tree climbing," he told her calmly, much to her utterly bewildered expression of incomprehension. "You should be able to handle tree climbing exercises quite easily, and you will likely be able to increase your chakra level at the same time."

"Tree climbing?" Sakura echoed unsurely, and so he showed her.

Without a pause, he set his foot on the trunk of the tree and lightly pushed off the ground. As natural as the act of breathing, his chakra control kicked in immediately and his other foot left the horizontal surface, the soles of his sandals gripping onto bark as if by magic, and then he was walking up the tree as if it was perfectly normal to be able to pull off such gravity defying acts without fanfare.

Sakura stared up at him in a shocked manner, her mouth opened with awe.

"Itachi-kun…? How…?"

"If you concentrate a constant stream of chakra to the soles of your feet, you will be able to stick to any surfaces you wish," Itachi replied quietly as he came to a stop, still standing sideways on the tree. Sakura's eyes turned round at the information. "This is known as the Tree Climbing exercise, also referred to as the Tree Walking technique. It is several levels above the leaf exercise in terms of difficulty and most don't get to learn it until they graduate from the Academy, but I believe that you will be able to handle the challenge just fine."

His simple acknowledgement of her ability made her feel quietly happy, and most importantly of all, he had just opened a path that had been previously closed to her, giving her a way to further improve upon herself and her abilities.

This time, Sakura's smile was huge and genuine, glowing from the depths of her soul. "Thank you, Itachi-kun!" Even through her exhaustion, her gratitude and happiness was obvious, and she looked like she was dying to try out the new technique immediately. "Can Naruto learn this as well?" Sakura could only think of just how thrilled her friend would be to pick up something new as well, not to mention how cool the golden-haired boy would find being able to walk up and down vertical surfaces like a _real_ ninja.

Itachi cut off the chakra concentrated at his feet and gave himself to gravity, landing back onto the ground with the soundless grace of a cat. He straightened and looked to Sakura, who was still staring at him in wonder and child-like admiration. "Naruto-kun is free to try. It will be good for him if he can get it down as well."

The Tree Climbing exercise required more chakra than the leaf exercise, but did not need very precise control over small, specific clusters of chakra like the latter. Since the young Kyuubi Vessel was born with an unusually large chakra pool that was also constantly growing with him, it made sense that chakra exercises like the leaf technique that required the control of minuscule amounts of energy would be akin to the child trying to isolate a tiny droplet of water from an exploding, out of control geyser. Following that line of thinking, Naruto might very well have better luck with the Tree Climbing exercise due to his unusually large chakra capacity.

"I will let Naruto know when he wakes up," Sakura promised, looking forward to sharing the good news with her best friend. "He will be so excited!" For now though, she would let him rest for a while first; Naruto was clearly exhausted as well, and like her, surely he would feel a little better after a brief nap. The pink-haired girl focused her attention on the tree in front of her, a look of determination gracing her childish features. Her intelligent emerald green eyes studied the contours of the tree bark closely and she slowly placed one sandaled foot on the vertical surface, carefully applying a thin film of chakra under the sole to adhere to the trunk.

Itachi observed unobtrusively as she thoughtfully tested the strength of the hold, subtly adjusting the amount chakra that she was letting constantly flow under her feet as she did so – too little and she wouldn't stick, too much and it would be waste of precious energy from her limited stores. He was not surprised when she quickly worked out an appropriate balance, and with that out of the way, she cautiously took her second step up the tree, all wobbly and unstable like a newborn fawn, her knees shaking slightly as she fought her instinctual fear of falling and struggled to adjust to the odd sensation of vertigo from her new vantage point. Sakura forced herself to concentrate, and then she took another unsteady step, and then another, and another, and before she knew it, she was halfway up the tree. The sudden height startled her when she chanced a glance down and saw that the ground was alarmingly far away, and a bout of dizziness immediately assailed her. The nine year old paled slightly, struggling to keep her chakra from fluctuating with her emotions; this was going to hurt if she slipped and fell –

"Sakura," Itachi called up then, effectively distracting her from her unhelpful thoughts. She looked down at him, saw him gazing at her with calm, steady eyes, and somehow, her nervousness immediately became less so. "Concentrate."

Behind that single word laid his confidence in her abilities, and of all the people around her, he was the one that she could never bear to disappoint. He did not offer to assist her in any way, nor did he try to assure her that he would catch her should she fall, but his silence spoke of a quiet trust in her, and it made her feel as if she really could do this – even without his interference. Drawing a deep, steadying breath, the young girl drew courage from her raven-haired friend and nodded. Pulling her fraying nerves together, she bit her lips as she turned her focus inwards, doing her best to bring her chakra back under control. It worked well enough that she was able to turn around and eventually inch her way back down to flat ground, trembling with relief, and at the same time, lightheaded and exuberant from her success.

She was breathing hard then, flushed and perspiring from her efforts. Still, Sakura was positively euphoric, a giddy smile sitting nervously on her face even as she looked to Itachi for feedback. A slight incline of his head was enough to cause her eyes to shine with happiness; the nine year old did not need to hear overt praises from her quiet friend – a silent acknowledgement that she had done well was sufficient encouragement for her.

"How do you feel right now, Sakura?"

The young kunoichi-in-training paused and checked herself. It was one of the first things that Itachi had taught her when he had first agreed to help her in her training. The lesson was nothing important or very special, but yet it was something that a lot of young ninjas often forgot about or took for granted, and that was to constantly be aware of one's limitations. To master oneself was to win half the battle, and Sakura was willing to do whatever it took to ensure that she made full use of every smallest bit of knowledge that her friends had seen fit to impart to her.

"I feel okay," she said at last. "I can still go on." A tiny frown sat on her brow then. "The Tree Climbing exercise uses up chakra very quickly," she observed analytically, looking down consciously at her dirt smudged hands as she did so. "I will have to be careful when I train."

Itachi nodded, satisfied that she had noticed her own weaknesses and was keeping them in mind. "You will use up more energy with this exercise," he confirmed. "But since you have limited amount of chakra, this will force your reserves to increase quickly as a result. It shouldn't be a problem as long as you consistently monitor your chakra level as you practice."

Sakura's gaze lit up in understanding as the young ANBU Captain explained the effects that came from the training. This was what they had been looking for! An excited grin threatened to split her youthful features into two, and her gratitude was simply impossible to miss. "Thank you, Itachi-kun!" she whispered fervently, and not for the first time. She looked so briefly overwhelmed by this unexpected stroke of good luck that tears quickly threatened to fall from her bright eyes. She was determined not to cry this time though; she rubbed quickly at her eyes and sniffled hard to curtail her weepy emotions, made so much more fragile by her physical and mental exhaustion, but she kept smiling all the same. "Now we will definitely be able to keep our promise to Sasuke!" the pink-haired child told him with tremendous happiness.

Her earnest joy was infectious, and even though he was still as outwardly stoic as ever, he was not entirely unaffected by her elation.

"I won't disappoint your kindness, Itachi-kun! That's a promise!" Sakura vowed, very eager to get back to her new training. It was apparent that Naruto was rubbing off of her.

Itachi's remote gaze flickered slightly with quiet affection as he watched the motivated girl.

"As long as you don't give up, Sakura, you will never be a disappointment."

* * *

Sasuke was scowling.

The young Uchiha felt very silly at the moment. It was nearing dusk and he had just finished up on his personal training over at the private Uchiha training grounds. Okaa-sama was probably already waiting at home with a piping hot dinner on the table, and he should have been making his way back to the clan holdings the moment he was done with his daily exercises. Instead, the nine year old ninja wannabe found his feet leading him to the small park where he had first met a certain loudmouthed blonde and an oddly sweet but unexpectedly scary pink-haired girl years ago, feeling more than a bit foolish as he lingered uncertainly outside the entrance, debating whether or not to enter. The dark-haired boy had no doubt that he would find those two idiots inside, and that made him hesitate.

Why did he even come here, out of his way, to look for them? Tomorrow would be the end of the one week long ultimatum that the three of them had agreed upon. Tomorrow, both Sakura and Naruto would have to prove to him that they were capable of the Goukakyuu no Jutsu for him to acknowledge them, and if they failed, then it would be the end of their association with each other. There would be no more talk of friendship, and they would have no more right to bother him or annoy him with their stupid antics or irritating gestures that he did not want or need from them.

Sasuke did not know why that made him feel so nervous. He hadn't seen much of them since the day they had barged into his family's training grounds nearly a week ago, demanding to know why he was ignoring them. Since his challenge to them, he had only seen them in passing in school, and even then, it was apparent by their increasingly stressed, haggard demeanors that they had been working hard to fulfill their promise to him. He had no idea if they had succeeded yet, but their stubborn determination struck a chord in him. It was a feeling that grew and throbbed heavily in his chest and made him feel strangely…warm and bothered. He didn't understand why they were willing to do so much, _exhaust themselves so much_, just so that he would accept them; no one else had bothered, after all. At least, not to the same impossible extent that they had. He was the second son of the head of the Uchiha clan; he had met his share of kids whose parents had wanted to use him to get closer to his family, and even then, none of those had made half as much effort as the dobe and the pink-haired weakling. Even until now, Sasuke did not quite know what to make of those two, which explained his current dilemma.

Just because of something as stupendously simple as 'friendship,' those two were willing to do whatever it took to get him to admit their bonds. The part of Sasuke that was skeptical and clan bred could hardly believe that was all those two wanted from him, whereas the rest of him was growing strangely restless without the near daily clockwork interference from the aforementioned duo. Those two had been so preoccupied with their training that they had temporary stopped bothering him like they were wont to do every couple of days, and even if the young Uchiha would never admit it, he kind of missed their interactions.

Regardless of whether he liked it or not, they had grown on him.

He knew that he would be in trouble if the clan elders caught wind of his deliberate association with those two non-clan children outside of the Academy, but perhaps _just a little peek_ would not hurt. He was curious and wanted to see just how far their training had gotten them, and if he had been discovered, well, there was nothing wrong in taking an innocent stroll in the park, right? And if it turned out that the stupid blonde and the scary pinkette were having a bit of trouble getting down the jutsu, well, it wasn't as if anyone in the clan could censure him if he suddenly decided to get in some extra Ninjutsu training in the park, and it happened to be completely coincidental that he was practicing the Goukakyuu in full view of those two children.

Squaring his shoulders, Sasuke nodded to himself and decided that was that. He was a scion of the Uchiha main house, and therefore he was free to do anything he pleased. With that firmly in mind, the raven-haired boy marched into the park, armed with his hastily prepared excuses and reasoning and ready to see his frie- schoolmates.

He was in the midst of formulating the things he would say in his mind when he first heard the laughter and excited jabbering coming from a concealed clearing just a small ways ahead of him. It sounded familiar – a certain idiotic dobe _familiar_ – and so Sasuke started towards that direction, schooling his features to impassivity and at the same time moving as quietly as he could. Creeping carefully towards a tiny gap of the foliage, the nine year old peeked through the opening and –

He stiffened at what he saw.

Standing there with Naruto and Sakura was his aniki; the older Uchiha looked very much at ease where he was, and the two children beside him were obviously thrilled to have his attention.

Even as his mind slowly processed what he saw, the picture before him already spoke for itself.

"Nii-san…?" Sasuke whispered in his surprise, and the sound was enough to catch the attention of all three inhabitants of the clearing. Sakura's face lit up with excitement when she saw the boy.

"Sasuke, you came!" the pink-haired girl called out happily, abandoning her post beside Itachi to dart towards his younger brother. This was great; somehow, Sasuke had decided to join them today and here was their chance to catch hold of him and not let him go.

The nine year old Uchiha was still staring at his older sibling in shock, and didn't resist when the pink-haired girl grabbed his hand and pulled him over. His attention was fixed on Itachi, and the latter said not a word, watching the younger boy with his usual calm, implacable expression on his face.

"Took you long enough to join us, teme!" Naruto was saying. "You better be prepared to be surprised tomorrow; me and Sakura are gonna knock your socks off!"

Sasuke did not pay attention to the jabbering of the two children.

His heart was thudding heavily in his chest, everything seemed too loud and at the same time too quiet, and there was something like a feeling of disbelief welling in him.

"Nii-san," he heard himself speaking faintly through numbed lips, not understanding, _willing himself to not understand_. "I thought that you are on ANBU duty today…?"

Unlike both Sakura and Naruto, Itachi saw the turmoil broiling just under the surface of his brother's stunned expression. He saw Sasuke processing the information spread out before him and brashly reaching his own conclusions on the matter, saw the flash of realization and upset welling in the boy's stunned gaze, saw how he did not understand.

"I was," the Uchiha heir replied with unruffled composure, no hint of guilt or remorse showing on his placid features.

The ANBU Captain made no further effort to explain himself after his simple, quiet remark, and the silent recrimination in Sasuke's eyes grew to unspeakable proportions. At this point, any explanation would have fallen on deaf ears; Sasuke, still too impetuous and hasty and much too young to understand beyond his personal wants and desires, simply would not have listened, and so his brother offered up no answers, made no attempt to excuse himself from the entirely incriminating circumstances.

_Why, Nii-san_, Sasuke wanted to ask, his shock quickly turning to resentment, _why them? Why not me?_

Sakura was the next to realize that something was very wrong in this picture. Sasuke was stiff beside her, his features frozen, his eyes dark and swirling with negative emotions. She had not expected to see anger brewing there, and the growing _hurt_ stirring in his condemning gaze towards Itachi made her react with the need to comfort and appease the increasingly tense situation.

"Sasuke?" she asked softly, uncertainly, reaching out to touch his arm. There was a charged atmosphere growing between him and his brother that Sakura did not quite understand, but she could sense enough that it was not a good thing. Itachi-kun looked strangely calm though, and was watching Sasuke with an inscrutable expression on his face, waiting to see how the younger boy would react.

Sasuke's attention shifted briefly to the girl standing in front of him. Her face was filled with concern and worry, but all he could see at that moment was _betrayal_. It had taken him too long, but he finally understood what was going on. _He was so stupid_. He had thought that these two had really wanted to be his friends. _His_. But in the end, they didn't really want him all that much after all. They had never wanted him; it had always been Itachi all along. He should have known. Everything always went back to his powerful, amazing brother. How they must have been laughing behind his back all this while! A-And his Nii-san…

His Nii-san had chosen them over him.

His pale features slowly twisted with rage and he glared viciously at the pink-haired girl, who visibly recoiled at the furious expression on his face.

"Sasuke..?"

He ripped his arm free from her tentative hold, and was vindictively satisfied by the look of confused hurt spreading on her face. She was in his way still, and so he stepped up and callously knocked her aside, his unappeased anger lending him the strength and the absolute willingness to shove her out of his way. The force behind his violent push was large enough to propel the girl backwards several steps before she tripped on her own feet and landed on the ground in an awkward sprawl, and seeing the shock and pain on her face as she stared at him with huge eyes made him feel momentarily guilty, before his all-encompassing fury took over once again.

Naruto yelled, and then wasted no time rushing over to his fallen friend to help her up. Her knees were scraped and starting to bleed where the tiny rocks had broken skin, and her golden-haired friend grew extremely angry as well when he saw her injuries, turning back to Sasuke to scream at him for this clearly unprovoked attack.

Sasuke ignored the two children, his burning gaze fixed on his older brother.

"Nii-san," his voice quivered briefly, then held firm. "You said that you couldn't train me, but what are you doing with _them_?"

His last word was filled with venomous accusation, but he was watching his beloved brother with something akin to desperate hope in his eyes, silently willing the older boy to explain himself, to perhaps tell him that he had met those two accidentally today, that this wasn't exactly what it looked like, _that he had not forsaken his own brother to help out a pair of weak, useless children who weren't even blood related to them_. He would have believed anything that Itachi said right now, he would have accepted anything that his Ani was willing to throw at him so long as this was not what he thought it was.

But Itachi stayed silent.

Sasuke's feeble hopes died. The impact of the betrayal hit him so hard and _it hurt so bad_. Tears threatened to flow from the nine year old's eyes. He swiped them fiercely away with the back of his hand before they could fall, his pride unwilling to let any of the individuals before him see how beaten he felt right now, how utterly _betrayed_. Black fury filled his heart, and ugly jealousy ate at his insides like acid.

How he _hated_ all of them right now.

So this was how it was.

"I see." His voice was hoarse and shaking from the effort it took not to scream his rage to the world – _to these three people here who had hurt him so when they weren't allowed to, but they had. _Sakura made a small, pained sound in response to his acute emotional agony, but like a wounded animal, he lashed out at her empathy, glaring so viciously at her through the sheen of tears that coated his eyes that she flinched at his hostile animosity. Even Naruto was stunned into silence, his head spinning at the speed of what had just transpired. The children barely understood what was going on, but clearly the two brothers were in accord, and somehow, even though this was obviously their faults, the silent _disappointment_ in Itachi's eyes made Sasuke feel as if he had just been gutted by a blunt kunai.

Even at this moment, his brother's opinion of him still mattered so much, and that made his anger flare as well. He smothered his pain with that wrathful, vengeful feeling, piercing his brother with his most hateful stare.

"Nii-san, you are the _worst_."

Then, Sasuke turned and fled.

* * *

_::tsuzuku::_

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

So, I hope you guys are at least pleasantly surprised by this mid-week update. My long time readers (and fellow shippers) will note that I usually upload my chapters during the weekends, but I decided to make an exception this time because I originally intended to put this up last Sunday, but didn't quite manage to meet the dateline due to editing issues. Anyhow, I did my best to rush it out (it was a real pain in the behind editing this monster, I tell you), so here's to hoping that some of you enjoyed this installment at least.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

This chapter is the lengthiest that I have written so far. For those who do not like reading long installments, please accept my apologies for making your eyeballs weep from the strain of squinting at your screen for such a long period of time. For those of you who do, well, please don't get too used to this length. My expected average word count for each chapter is usually in the 8000 to 9000 range, but sometimes the plot gets in the way and monsters like this one would pop up every once in a while.

When I start on a new chapter, I usually already have a vague idea of where I want to end it at, and sometimes it takes longer than expected to get there. I suppose I could easily split this chapter into two and post them separately, but they won't have the same impact that I wish to achieve. Besides, I know that some of you are already impatiently chomping at the bit for the next time skip, and putting out additional chapters isn't going to help quicken that process at all.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I'm not sure if I have clarified this before, but '_Haha-ue'_ is an extremely formal, respectful term of address for 'Mother.' It is even more so than 'Okaa-sama,' as Sasuke is wont to use for referring to his female parent. Just as a note for reference, I believe the average Japanese usually uses less formal terms of address towards their parents i.e. Okaa-san/Kaa-san/Kaa-chan or Otou-san/Tou-san/Tou-chan. Those are more affectionate and familial terms compared to Itachi and Sasuke's more reverent address of their parents. Of course, since they are noble clan-born children and both Fugaku and Mikoto also happen to be the heads of the Uchiha House, it is expected that they have to follow a more rigid code of conduct when it comes to their elders.

FYI, the masculine form of 'Haha-ue' would be 'Chichi-ue.'

**xXxXxXxXxX**

So, Kakashi finally meets two-thirds of his future team for the first time. His is more of a cameo appearance than anything (for now, at least), since the village of Konoha is not _that_ big and therefore I don't feel that it is that far of a stretch for the children to run into him by chance. As hinted, he also has a brief history with baby!Naruto and is well aware of the blonde's parentage, though of course Naruto is none the wiser.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

According to the Narutopedia, the Suiton: Teppodama no jutsu (Water Release: Liquid Bullet) is a C-Rank offensive technique. I'm not sure if canon!Kakashi knows the jutsu, but since he is 'the man who has copied over a thousand techniques,' I will just go ahead and assume that he does, or barring that, has other Suiton jutsu in his impressive arsenal capable of putting out the fire that Naruto had unwittingly unleashed in this chapter.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I have no idea if there are any rules forbidding civilians from using high ranking jutsu indiscriminately, but I think there should be one if there isn't, if for nothing more than to ensure that stupid people won't try to do dumb things and inadvertently cause harm to themselves and the people around them (sort of like the principles behind gun control laws). I don't believe that there aren't any civilians without the chakra ability to pull those off if given half the chance; not everyone can become ninjas after all – if not lacking the physical ability, then perhaps the mental fortitude – so such a law to regulate the control and use of higher ranked jutsu shouldn't be all that farfetched in Konoha.

Of course, I'm only just speculating here, so do excuse my ramblings if they get too far out of hand.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I have had some readers who commented that Naruto swears a bit too much for his age. Hmm, how to say this – _it is intentional_. Naruto is, for a lack of better term, a gutter rat. He might be just a bit sheltered – by way of his association with the Sandaime – but beyond that he has had very little positive experiences with adults and everything that he has learned, he has learned by mimicking what he has seen of other people, usually by the sideline or as a result of the aforementioned not-so-nice interactions with the villagers willing to put up with him. As I have mentioned before in one of the previous chapters, Naruto is not physically abused by the village in CP-verse, but we all know that there are many other ways to hurt a person without leaving a mark on their body.

As a result of his personal experiences, he has learned to be more distrustful and skeptical of the 'good intentions' of strangers, adults in particular, as shown by his hesitant response towards Kakashi.

So yes, CP!Naruto is quite rough around the edges; even with the early integration of Sakura, Itachi and Sasuke.

After all, his life is not exactly a walk in the park, you know.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I think most of you would have noticed my focus on Naruto and Sakura's friendship in the last few chapters, and in this one as well. I have reviewers questioning the relationship between these two – will Naruto develop a crush on Sakura like in canon?

The answer is no, and allow me to explain why.

In canon-verse, I believe part of the reason why Naruto was so determined to pursue Sakura was due to the fact that he has always been a lonely child – at least until the start of the series where he begins to gain his previous people one by one. Prior to that, his loneliness and (forced) solitude was what gave rise to his constant craving for acknowledgement from his peers. His dogged pestering of canon!Sakura for dates was one of those ways in which he could get it. The interaction (read: beatings) he derives from canon!Sakura (in the process of his so-called wooing), even though violent and hardly pleasant and healthy for his sense of being, is still a type of attention paid to him as a result of his diligent persistence. When deprived of any sort of social interaction to the point of desperation like canon!Naruto, any sort of attention becomes good attention as long as his existence is being acknowledged by the people around him, even if he is just known as an annoyance and a pest. That was the way canon!Naruto had learned to get attention – judging by his pranks and brash loudness and his love for bright attention catching colors.

However, in CP-verse, Naruto has already been acknowledged by Sakura, has been so since from a very young age. At five years old, there are no confusing pre-adolescent hormones or conceptions of romantic love in the mind of a young child – those fall by the wayside for more important matters like family, a sense of belonging and the need for pure affection. This would be especially so for a young orphan who is also a social pariah and entirely devoid of family love, desperately searching for individuals in his life to fill in the familial roles that other children have and take for granted, but sorely missing in his own. Notice how canon!Naruto is always calling the Third by the disrespectful moniker of 'jii-san' – meaning 'Gramps,' the owner of Ichiraku ramen Teuchi-'oji-san' – meaning 'Uncle' – and his daughter Ayame-'nee-chan' – meaning 'big Sister?'

Therefore, in that aspect, Sakura, and, also in a lesser extent, Miharu (Sakura's CP-verse mother) would also provide some of the much needed familial structure and support in Naruto's hodgepodge mix of important people. As a result of this early interference, CP!Naruto would grow up regarding Sakura as a beloved, precious sister – in a way, this fact would be imprinted onto him as surely as if she was his real birth sibling.

Hope this clarifies the matter of Naruto's possible infatuation with Sakura.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Another issue I would like to clear up is the mistaken impression that only the members of the Uchiha clan are allowed to use the C-Ranked Goukakyuu no Jutsu. Yes, the Uchiha clan is a clan of ninjas well known for their affinity with the fire element, and the mastery of the Great Fireball technique is considered the 'coming of age' rite for every Uchiha, but it does not mean that the jutsu is exclusively for their use. There are a number of ninja in Konoha with the knowledge of the Goukakyuu no Jutsu, after all, Hatake Kakashi being one of them, just to name an example.

That said, I will admit that the members of the Uchiha clan would not be happy were they to learn that Sasuke had taught two non-clan children how to perform the Katon jutsu. First of all, it is against the law to teach civilian children (which is who Naruto and Sakura are right now) how to use any jutsu higher than D-Rank (in accordance to the Civilian D-rank Only law that I have mentioned above). Also, as a rule of thumb, most ninjas are rather possessive of their hard earned techniques and are usually very reluctant to share them with non-clan/non-family individuals.

However, the mastery of the Goukakyuu no Jutsu is the only way that Sasuke knows to measure the worth of both Naruto and Sakura. This is how he has been taught after all, and therefore he would use the same yardstick to test Naruto and Sakura's mettle.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Next thing to bring up would be Sakura's mental and emotional development.

Right now, she's not the fiery, feisty kickass kunoichi that we all know and love, but that's only because that part of her hasn't been forced out of her yet. It's dormant right now, in hibernation if you will, and that is the reason why that part of her character has not quite developed. If you will notice, canon!Sakura only truly started to show her true colors during the Chuunin Exam arc. The desperate need to protect her teammates during the second part of the exams in the Forest of Death had forced out the grim determination and grit that was inherently to her from the very beginning, and from thereon, that awakening quickly kick started all the necessary changes that would eventually temper her resolve and turn her into a formidable warrior.

I don't recognize Sakura's violent, screaming fangirl tendencies pre-Chuunin Exam arc as a sign of her spirited nature. I feel that those are only the crazed barking of a toothless dog, i.e. 'the dog that barks the loudest is also the weakest.' It is quite obvious that canon!Sakura suffers from an inferior complex, though she hides it well behind all her loud mannerisms, overt displays of affection for Sasuke and aggressive competition with Ino. That complex would eventually compel her to throw herself headfirst into her training later in the series so as to avoid being left behind by the boys in her team, but until then, all that supposedly over passionate, trigger happy hot-temper and willingness to beat up on Naruto for the smallest infractions are just means to cover up her own inadequacies, at least until she comes to terms with her weaknesses and start working to improve herself.

CP-Sakura is also self-conscious of herself and has a similar inferior complex, but what's different here is that she is already channeling her energy to training and bettering herself (largely in part due to Itachi's interference), and therefore that overly aggressive element is missing in her personality right now. She has also had a different upbringing from canon!Sakura, and therefore she is more patient and thoughtful here, traits that are further nurtured and enhanced by her continuous association with the Uchiha heir.

That is not to say that CP-Sakura will remain a quiet pushover (I don't believe such a character can survive in the forceful dynamics of Team Seven) – she's just harder to provoke and slower to anger for now, and of course, there's also a certain bullish, hardnosed inner psyche that she does not have access to yet.

Until then, please be patient! As the plot progresses, more will be unveiled.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

To the reviewer who expressed concern about Sakura's eventual growth as a kunoichi: I believe there's a misunderstanding regarding Ino's dialogue with Sakura in the last chapter, where the blonde had specifically mentioned that kunoichi are known to be weaker than shinobi. I will clarify now that Ino's statement is _not_ an indication that Sakura will be weaker than the boys in the future. The girl was just stating a universal fact – kunoichi are usually physically weaker than their shinobi counterparts, and their chakra capacity are also not as large as the men. However, kunoichi are also more agile and quick than shinobi, and also, to make up for their smaller chakra reservoirs, they usually have superior chakra control as compared to the males.

I won't go so far as to say that Sakura will be weaker than the boys in the future. The way I see it, the dynamics of Team Seven is unique in the fact that the three of them – Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke – will eventually become extremely specialized in their respective fields, the masters of their individual domains if you will – with little to no overlap in their skillsets. They will each be incredibly adept in their specializations, but in parts where one is weak at, the other two will be able to pick up the slack and vice versa. Teamwork at its finest.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I'd like to say that CP is heavily ItaSaku-centered, but because my intention is also to make this a realistic non-massacre fic (or as close to realistic as I can write it), there are a lot of elements involved in order to pull that off, other cast members in the Naruto-verse that have their individual roles to play in the plot that I cannot ignore. In the beginning chapters, CP is very much Itachi and Sakura focused because the main characters were still young, and their sphere of influences small and limited. As they grow up and form more connections and ties to the village, that sphere also becomes bigger, and like a growing network, their every action and reaction has greater effects on the people around them, like a growing ripple in a pond. The number of available options they have for every situation expands as well, things snowball, relationships become more complicated, life is now more than just a child's limited interaction with his/her parents and schoolmates, and therein lies the complexity in writing (or rather, managing) the plot of CP.

I cannot ignore the contribution of the individuals around Itachi and Sakura – the final product and culmination of what these two will eventually become will be largely due to their environments and the people around them. But don't worry too much, there will always be an aspect of ItaSaku no matter how I write CP – this is _their_ story, after all.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

So, as my beta had so nicely put it, Sasuke is a douche. At least he is so right now. This is not entirely his fault, however, since he is but the product of his upbringing. I hope some of the readers can begin to appreciate exactly why I had to put in a filler chapter for the previous installment after reading the current one. As Sasuke is right now, my headcanon of a well-rounded Team 7 is impossible to achieve. Something needed to change, and Sasuke also had to grow up a little, to see that the world does not just revolve around his needs and wants.

Well, there will be more on that in the coming chapters, so I won't spoil the story any further for now.

And yes, before the enraged Sasuke fangirls can attempt to smash through the fourth wall in an attempt to _declare vengeance _and skewer the biased authoress with verbal pitchforks of rage and hatred, I will iterate again: this is _not_ a Sasuke bashing fic.

There is a plot.

Wait for it, okay?

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Last but not least, to the incredibly insufferable Anon that have left me an equally unpleasant review; I have no idea what made you form the ludicrous idea that I have written massive amounts for this fic, only to withhold on the uploading for the sole evil intention of watching the lot of you squirm in your seats and beg for updates, but you are dead wrong. FYI, my writing is usually one chapter ahead of what I post, and that is mainly for editing purposes, in the case that there is a plot hole that needs to be addressed or changes that needs to be made to the storyline. I feel that I'm already quite slack in this aspect and would actually be more comfortable if I'm two or three chapters ahead of what I post, for CP is a fic that has a lot of different elements in it and I always need to keep a very careful eye on how the plot is progressing in order not to lose my place in the story.

Next, you insult me when you suggest that I should have done a rushed ending for CP due to my supposed lack of interest, just because you are not happy with the character development so far and, as I infer from your tone, the pace of the plot. Foolish reader; have I not iterated again and again that CP is a plot heavy fic, and that there will be no 'quick fixes' here? Do you not understand the basic commands of English, or do you simply just ignore what you do not like to read? Have you even thought things through your vacant little head before you send me your 'constructive criticism?' Have you any idea just how disrespectful your demand is, not only to me, but to the other readers as well? A rushed ending, are you serious? It will be of no consequence for me to do as you want; it is laughably easy come up with a completely abrupt and weak ending – I can do it right now, even – but will that really please you?

I will admit that I'm something of a writing snob, and will only ever put up fics/chapters that can satisfy my inner reader _at the very least_. Halfhearted writings are an insult not only to my pride as a writer, but also to my readers – if I no longer have any interest in a fic, I wouldn't have posted another chapter for it in the first place. So Anon, if the progression of CP annoys you so much, then do yourself and I a favor, and _just stop reading_. If the culmination of your reviews amount to shoddy advice of quick shortcuts and 'rushed endings,' then I don't think I need your brand of helpful criticisms to improve my writing at all.

Next, don't ever threaten me with the loss of readership. This is not a professional work of fiction and one less reader is not going to lose me a single wink of sleep; you are not paying me for my time and effort in writing this, after all. I have my own life and responsibilities outside of the computer, and I'm not obligated to write fanfiction for your sole pleasure. You have no right to rudely demand updates from me as if I'm working for you and owe you my living, you obnoxious twit. I write not for you but because ItaSaku is my passion, and also, most of the people that I have encountered in the fandom are amiable and enthusiastic individuals that make me love the pairing even more.

You should take a good hard look at yourself before you criticize others. Those who live in glass houses should not cast stones, but then again, other than for an awfully written review with atrocious grammar and poor punctuation, you didn't even had the guts to leave behind a means of communication for me to contact you with, which leads me to the conclusion that you are also a coward. It sure is easy to write all those thoughtless things when you don't have to be held accountable for them, huh?

And just think, had you revealed your identity (or just left behind an email address), I wouldn't have had to resort to writing this long chunk of unnecessary vitriol to counter your anonymous flaming. To be honest, I would probably have even thanked you for your feedback and explained nicely just why I'm writing CP the way I have. It's such a pity, though, that you are completely lacking in even the most basic of manners and common courtesy.

Just a little food for thought, Anon.

Your call now.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

To the rest of my readers, I deeply apologize for what you had to read just now, if you have even made it that far. I needed to get that off of my chest.

Just to make things clear, I do not condone or accept any form of abuse towards myself or any other writer on this website. I will not sit back meekly and passively take it; if need be, I will challenge any offender every step of the way. We are not here for you to vent your frustrations on, just as we do not owe you anything just because we post fics on this site.

If you treat me fairly and nicely, I will reciprocate and thank you for it; it's as simple as that. If you want to be a dramatic little twat in my domain, I will match you tit for tat and raise you a get-the-hell-out-of-here-and-don't-ever-come-back. 

Consider this a fair warning.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

-paws


	13. Chapter 13

**Title:** cabbage patch

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/General/Humor

**Word Count:** 13,227

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #23, cabbage patch

**Rating: **T (Contains content not suitable for children)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Non-massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.

**Created on:** 01/05/13

**Completed on:** 30/05/13

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 06/07/13

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

The next day, Sakura and Naruto waited at the park for Sasuke to show.

He didn't turn up.

It was the end of the promised week, and they were supposed to reveal to the young Uchiha the painstaking results of their hard work at mastering the Goukakyuu no Jutsu, but he didn't come.

The two children waited and waited the whole day, until the sun set and dusk settled over the village, but there was still no sign of their dark-haired friend.

Sakura bit her lip in distress, and Naruto growled and muttered unflattering words under his breath, but there was a quiet air of tension and anxiety that saturated the atmosphere, and the children were obviously too dispirited and disheartened by the event that had transpired the day before to make too much out of today's disappointment. Sasuke's outburst yesterday had shocked all of them, and the expression on his older brother's face when he ran off –

Sakura had never seen Itachi-kun look like that before. It was enough to get her moving to his side in spite of her banged up and tired state. Naruto followed her cue as well, and even though the two children had no idea what had happened between Sasuke and his older brother, they were astute enough to read the mood.

And now, Sasuke wasn't showing, and after the rather violent encounter yesterday, coupled with the utterly furious, vicious look he had given them both before he left – he had been crying too, they saw – none of them knew what to do to fix the problem.

"This sucks," Naruto commented at last, quickly summarizing their awkward situation so far. Sighing, Sakura had no choice but to nod in agreement.

"…We should go and find Sasuke, but I don't think he will want to see us right now," the pink-haired girl whispered in a hushed, withdrawn manner. "He was so _angry_ yesterday."

She still had the banged up knees and scratched palms to show for it, but somehow, she did not have the heart to resent Sasuke for what he had done to her. She had seen the tears in his eyes before he turned and ran – he was obviously hurting too – and Itachi-kun had been similarly distraught as well.

Sakura sighed again. What a mess.

"What should we do, Naruto?"

The blonde boy hmm-ed and narrowed his eyes in deep thought. Predictably, it didn't take long for him to make up his mind.

"Let's go find teme," Naruto decided firmly at last, his childish features set with determination. "A promise is a promise, right?"

* * *

They managed to corner him right after school the next day.

It was a stroke of pure good luck, because the sullen-faced Uchiha had clearly been avoiding them. Those dark eyes flashed with anger and hostility, and the glare he shot them was positively deadly.

"What's your problem?" Naruto had demanded to know, Sasuke's enmity making his hackles rise in defense. "What have we done to piss you off this time, huh?"

If anything, Sasuke's gaze grew even more venomous. "Screw you," he spat spitefully at the two children, and his animosity was so acrimoniously rancorous that they flinched back at the sheer amount of hate and rage that he was radiating towards them.

Sakura had never been on the receiving end of this much anger and sheer loathing before, and the fact that she was receiving it from one of her close friends pained her very much.

"Sasuke…" she whispered, the look on her face revealing just how stunned, bewildered and hurt she felt. "Why are you…"

Naruto did not take being swore at all that well, especially not in that sort of tone. This was not the usual name calling that both he and the irritable Uchiha had always gotten into since they first met each other at the age of five. No, this was meant to hurt, to cut deeply into the bonds that they had built closely around each other, to punish them for something they had not done, to make them bleed for whatever reason he deemed they deserved such punishment.

Naruto did not like this Sasuke at all, and his sapphire blue eyes blazed with his own growing anger. It was all the boy could do to reign in his own temper. "What's. Your. Problem," he bit out tersely once again, all but bristling with offense. "You said that we had to be good enough to be your friends, but now you are just being an asshole, teme. We were 'sposed to meet yesterday. Where were you, huh?"

The young Uchiha just stared at him coldly but he said nothing. That was alright. Naruto had more than enough words to say for all three of them.

"You told us to get down the Goukakyuu by yesterday, and then you didn't even bother to turn up?! What's that supposed to mean? A promise is a promise, right? What kind of friend are you-?"

The last of Naruto's heated remarks quickly turned out to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Sasuke's eyes flared with his wrath, and then he hissed virulently. "_Shut up._" The vicious fury showed so prominently on his pale, pointed features that Sakura gasped, her heart squeezing with dismay. "The two of you can just shut up and take your lousy friendship elsewhere." The nine year old Uchiha sneered, his darkened, furious expression twisted with hate and revulsion. "I don't _need_ your stupid friendship. You think I really care? The elders of my clan are right; you are all just pathetic losers trying to cling onto the Uchiha name. You really think that I believe you can already perform the Goukakyuu? Idiots! I set the both of you up to _fail_! But I guess you are both just too stupid to realize that, right?"

He was lashing out blindly, filled with the need to hurt these two just as much as they had hurt him, and it was working. Sakura was stiff with disbelief, and Naruto was shaking with anger, his eyes wide, his pupils dilated with his own fury. There was nothing worse than what he had just said; in one shot he had belittled all of their effort, mocked their earnest attempt to salvage this friendship, and made utter fools out of them. To Naruto, it was simply unforgivable.

So this was it. _This was it_.

"_Bastard_-!" the blond growled, his temper flaring up. "_Uchiha Sasuke_!"

In a suspended state of shock, Sakura could only watch as Naruto dove at Sasuke with an angry roar, and then the boys were rolling on the floor, fighting viciously, throwing wild haymakers and scratching and kicking and screaming unintelligible words of boiling wrath at each other, all semblance of their formal taijutsu and ninja training forgotten as they lost themselves in a frenzied ferocity borne from hurt and betrayal. Sakura stared, frozen, at the sheer brutality of the fight; this was nothing like the playful, competitive tussles and ragging, friendly rivalry that the boys usually indulged in. No, her two friends were fighting each other like a pair wild animals, as if trying their best to kill each other.

"Stop it," she whispered. They did not hear her. They were exchanging blows with the worst sort of intentions, trying their best to rip at and tear into each other's flesh, and the raw, guttural sounds of rage and fury that came out of their mouths, their faces twisted in a rictus of explosive acrimony and spite, terrified her utterly.

It took Sakura a moment to pull herself together and finally _act_.

"_Stop it!_" she had to yell to make herself heard above the din that the boys were making, and somehow, the act of raising her voice gave her a boost of courage to steel herself and wade into the tangled mess of snarling bodies and swinging limbs.

Her first attempt to separate the two did not succeed, and instead earned her an indiscriminating elbow to the face (from Naruto) and a swift boot to the stomach (from Sasuke). She was kicked out of the fight unceremoniously, pain exploding in her face and the wind knocked right out of her, but her consistent training must have toughened her up more than she had thought, for after staggering backwards a bit and briefly seeing stars, she was able to shake off the trauma and recover quickly. Somehow, the pain served to center her resolve even further; her emerald eyes hardening with determination and gritting her teeth, she stubbornly shoved her way back between the boys, and this time the kid gloves really came off. Even though she was nowhere near as good as Sasuke in her taijutsu and her stamina was leagues behind Naruto, she could still claw and scratch with the best of them, her skinny knees and bony elbows quickly finding their way into the sides of her friends, straight into unprotected kidneys and stomachs, and, last but not least, like any self-respecting girl, ripping out vindictive tufts of hair from the scalp of one deserving brunette and one thick-skulled blonde was _a piece of cake_.

It took immense effort and all of her strength to pull apart the viciously brawling boys, but she managed to do so in the end, though not without her share of bruises and abrasions as a result. Her success was a surprise to her since the other two children were each larger and heavier than she was, but she quickly credited it to luck and wasted no time dragging an angrily growling Naruto a fair distance away from Sasuke. Her strength quickly left her then and the fox boy's angry flailing managed to trip them both up and they fell on their bottoms on the dirt floor.

All the yelling stopped then, and it was silent.

The three of them were all visibly panting from their vicious exertions and were more than a bit ruffled as they glared at each other stiffly. The young Jinchuuriki looked like he was going to sport a magnificent shiner on his right eye tomorrow and his nose was already visibly bruised and starting to swell up. The second son of the Uchiha clan head was not looking very hot at the moment either. The boy was suffering from a sluggishly bleeding split lip and his face was all scraped up and dirty, as if he had just recently been shoved face first onto the ground.

"Naruto, Sasuke! What do you think you are doing!" she scolded them fiercely and immediately. "Don't fight! Let's calm down and talk this out!"

Naruto reluctantly subsided in deference to her reasoning, but Sasuke was not as easily placated.

"There's nothing to talk about," Sasuke's voice was hard and curt. The dark-haired boy lifted his arm and wiped the blood off his face with the back of his hand. His dark eyes burned with unforgiving anger as he stared hard at the two children before him. "I mean it; stay away from me and leave me alone."

The fight had drained most of the impotent rage out of him, but the harsh bitterness still remained and it was hard not to react to his dark emotion. Turning from them, the young Uchiha clawed his way back up to his feet and started to walk away, and the sheer finality of his action struck out at the two children who had known him since he was five.

"Sasuke…" Sakura called out helplessly even as Naruto tensed beside her. "Please…"

_Don't go. _

Even through all the things that he had done and the hurtful words he had said to them, the wild, wounded look in Sasuke's eyes prompted Sakura's empathy. She didn't know why he was so angrily lashing out or why he suddenly seemed to hate them so much, but her friend was hurt, and she just could not ignore that.

The boy paused in his steps and stiffened.

Then, he whispered coldly.

"_Friends like you two, I don't need_."

* * *

Itachi was waiting at the courtyard of the Uchiha Main House when Sasuke slowly walked into view.

His older sibling eyed the bruises and injuries on his face but made no effort to remark on them. His gaze settled steadily on the younger boy, and his calm nonchalance served to agitate his brother further. Sasuke tensed, his eyes darkening with something akin to a poignant mix of anger and pain, and it took everything he had not to burst out in accusation and fury at his brother. Clenching his jaw, he trembled from the force of his upset, a sheen of moisture coated his eyes, and it was all he could do not to let his tears fall there and then. The nine year old walked stiff-legged past his brother, not even bothering to acknowledge the presence of his beloved aniki.

"Sasuke," Itachi spoke quietly then, and his brother stiffened. The lanky teenager turned his head slightly to stare at the younger boy, his gaze watchful but unreadable. He didn't speak for a long while.

"Will you hate me now?"

The boy jerked reflexively as if he had just been shot. Looking at the sibling that he idolized, he immediately felt heavy resentment and betrayal, but no matter how mad he was at his brother, he was unable to summon the tiniest bit of hatred towards his adored nii-san. The realization was both frustrating and highly upsetting, and the urge to cry intensified. Sasuke bit his lips until they bled as he stared at his brother, trying to muster his most negative feelings towards the latter – and failing.

And Itachi knew. His brother _knew_.

"Why," Sasuke choked out then, his voice rough. "I'm your otouto. They aren't even Uchiha!"

Itachi said nothing for a while. Then, at last, he replied. "It does not matter."

But the look in his eyes said differently. _You still don't understand_.

It hurt Sasuke, because all he could hear was his nii-san saying that it didn't matter, because _he_ didn't matter. It was the worst feeling in the world, and his pain quickly turned to fury, and even though he was crying openly now, tears leaving saline tracks down his smudged face, his eyes burned brightly with his emotions.

"_I hate you_," he whispered harshly, and with heartfelt vehemence. Then, the boy turned and rushed blindly into the house, leaving his older brother standing there alone in the courtyard.

Itachi closed his eyes. For a brief moment, his proud, perfect carriage faltered.

He looked utterly defeated.

There was nothing more devastating than receiving the contempt of this child who he had loved dearly since the latter was a baby. But this was the price that he had to pay in exchange for his brother's understanding. Sasuke had to learn and he had to learn _now_, and Itachi would make sure that he would _never_ forget this lesson.

_Be strong, Sasuke. _

_Forgive me._

* * *

Even though his own brother didn't want him, the other Uchiha children were more than happy to accept him within their midst.

Nobody knew of the strange tension that had cropped up between the two brothers, and neither of them was saying anything. The older of the two was rarely on the clan grounds due to his ANBU duties and apprenticeship to the ANBU _shousui_ and the younger sibling had taken to training himself to an exhausted stupor, or hanging around his older cousins so that he was often away from home as well.

"Come on, Sasuke," one of the Uchiha boys cajoled convincingly that day. "Let's just go check it out for a bit, there's no harm in that!"

Another of his cousins concurred. "Yeah, let's go, Sasuke! My brother told me that it's really something we must see for ourselves."

The nine year old frowned slightly, obviously reluctant. School had just ended and all he wanted to do was trudge off to the Uchiha fields and train until he was too tired to think of anything but sleep when he finally dragged himself home. It had been what he had been doing for the past month or so, or at least what he would usually do if not for the frequent interruption of the other children of the clan. Normally, he would have ignored their constant badgering – they were always eager to interact with him for some reason or another, and they always deferred to him and agreed with him and never called him rude names or denied him anything he wanted – but it wasn't as if there was anyone left who would do or say all those things anymore. The thought made his eyes darken, and the fact that his heart still lurched painfully in his chest at the reminder frustrated him unimaginably. His fingers clenched into fists, nails digging into palms, and for a moment, the look on his face was so bitter and resentful that his cousins momentarily paused and took a step back, stunned by the amount of vitriol and anger that radiated from the younger boy.

"H-hey, it's okay if you don't want to go," one of them stuttered, taken back by the intensity burning in the nine year old's eyes. The second son of their clan head was one seriously creepy kid, and it was no wonder he was directly related to Itachi, who was equally unsettling and just as incomprehensible. "We can just go do whatever! What do you say, huh? Just don't be mad at us!"

It was downright strange to see a group of older boys, perhaps just a couple of years shy of the Genin minimum age requirement, so utterly meek and obliging towards a child at least two years younger than themselves, almost suspicious, really, but Sasuke was too busy trying to pretend that they were not much different from the…_friends_ that he used to have to notice.

"No," the dark-haired young boy refuted at last, suddenly stubborn as an ox. "I will go. Let's go. To that place you said would be fun."

He was filled with the raw need to prove himself to the people who were no longer even there to justify his actions – because he had already chased them away – _but they had betrayed him first, and he didn't need them_. _I don't need you_, he fantasized telling them with a contemptuous sneer on his face. _See. I can make much better friends than you two_, he mentally boasted to the whisker-faced boy and the blossom-haired girl in his mind, _they are great and they always do whatever I say and never argue or fight with me._

_I'm happy with them. I am._

If he repeated it often enough, then maybe he would start to believe it himself.

He didn't know why he felt the strongest urge to cry instead. His emotional response was both aggravating and infuriating. Why was he so _weak_?

The young boy was clearly unstable, mentally worn down and fragile, and his cousins exchanged wary glances.

"Where is this place?" Sasuke insisted lowly, his eyes unnaturally bright but his gaze hard.

"Well, they call it Training Ground Number Forty-Four…"

* * *

When the Uchiha children walked away, the dense hedges they had been lingering by earlier rustled ominously before a furry, whiskered, and pointed face with a little black twitching nose popped out from the foliage. Intelligent beady eyes watched the Academy students disappear from sight, and then with a quick wiggle and a deft twist of its sleek, elongated body, the slight critter slipped out from the shrubbery to land soundlessly on the ground, its little ears perked up and head cocked inquisitively. The small mustelid, now a handsome young adolescent that was nearly two feet long (sans tail) and possessing a rich coat of glossy, pitch black fur, chirruped and then turned around and scampered off.

Like a quick flash of black, the animal darted stealthily down quiet side streets and slunk noiselessly past houses and buildings. Taking shortcuts through alleyways and narrow lanes, it quickly reached its destination, lithely scaling a tree with its sharp, tiny claws and then balancing gracefully as it tightroped across the swaying tree branches and then slipped adroitly into the window of the apartment building adjacent to it.

Sakura noticed immediately when her pet came home. "Okaerinasai, Ita-chan!" the pink-haired girl called out from the kitchen. She was in the process of packing lunch. The weasel dubbed 'Ita-chan' loped up to her and wasted no time pulling itself up the length of her body to sit at her shoulder. Sakura staggered slightly under the weight of her beloved animal companion. "Oof," she exclaimed, righting herself in order to keep from toppling over. "You are getting heavy, Ita-chan!"

In response, the large weasel huffed indignantly and responded by slapping its long, sleek tail around her neck. Sakura sputtered out a laugh. "Okay, okay! I didn't mean that you are fat! You are just getting really big!" Itachi-chan poked his cold, wet nose against her ear, as if resenting her opinion, and his owner giggled at the ticklish sensation. "But I still love you anyway." Most importantly, she also fed him, and that pleased the fetching mustelid to no end. Sakura waited for her pet to finish wolfing down the ball of onigiri that she had given it before she asked, "Did you find Sasuke like I asked you to, Ita-chan?"

The black-furred weasel daintily licked its paws and pretended to ignore its mistress. Sakura gave him a reprimanding poke. "Ita-chan!"

If the animal could roll its eyes, it would have. The mustelid looked offended that its abilities were being questioned and he stuck his nose in the air. Sakura reached up and quickly tickled his belly. "Ita-chan, this is really important. Help me out here, please?"

The creature's affection for its mistress was obvious. It licked her cheek in agreement at last, and Sakura's face lit up. The pink-haired young girl quickly finished packing up the rest of her lunch and was very soon good to go. It didn't take long for her to scribble down a quick note for her mother to find, lock up the house and then leave the apartment, her pet riding on her shoulder like a living pelt of jet black. A look of determination crossed Sakura's face. She was a girl on a mission and this time she came fully prepared with weapons to win this fight. In her satchel was a carefully prepared bento of omusubi filled with delicious bits of okaka shavings, and as a bonus, there was also a handful of fresh cherry tomatoes that she had gone to the markets right after school to buy – a peace offering.

Sakura clenched her fists and gathered up her courage, her bright green eyes all fired up, gearing herself up for battle. It was hard to quell the uncertainty because this was important to her, and she was scared that she would fail and lose one of her friends forever. Something had to be done, and no matter how painful it was that one of her oldest childhood playmates was ignoring both Naruto and herself and treating both of them like they were invisible, the pink-haired girl _knew_ that she had to keep trying. To do anything else would mean that she was ready to give up on their friendship, and Sakura didn't want that.

Sasuke was precious, but he was just so unhappy and Sakura could not forget the look in his eyes the last time he willingly spoke to them a month or so ago. He had been near tears when he told them that he never wanted to see them again, and even though his cold, callous words had cut deeply, the palpable _hurt_ and defensive anger in his trembling form called out to her. One of her closest friends was in pain and she was unable to do a thing about it and even now, Sasuke's _betrayed_ expression haunted her.

Enough was enough.

Sakura's eyes filled with resolve.

She was going to get to the bottom of this today. She would not let Sasuke shrug her off any longer. He was going to tell her what was wrong or she would make him.

Hopefully, she would not need to reach that point, but after all the grief that Sasuke no baka had caused her, the sweet looking, pink-haired child quickly decided that she would not mind stuffing his mouth full of rice balls until he choked everything out, and she would happily do it – as a concerned and well-meaning friend, of course.

"Come on, Ita-chan," Sakura murmured, feeling like she was ready to take on anything that could be thrown at her. "Let's go find Sasuke."

* * *

"Whoa…"

The quartet of Uchiha children stood before the gates of the infamous Training Ground Number Forty Four, staring with wide eyes at the humongous forest that grew beyond the enclosure of the towering metal fences with the dangerous barbed wire and the screaming, enlarged and bolded 'KEEP OUT' signs. The foliage was extremely dense and the late afternoon sunlight barely penetrated the lush greenery to reach the forest floor. The trees were so unbelievably tall and clustered together that the boys could not even see the beginnings of the tree line canopy, and the trunks were so thick that even the smallest specimen would need at least fifteen adults to completely encircle it.

The young ninjas-in-training stared at the huge jungle, thoroughly intimidated by its sheer size and oppressive presence. There was nothing but an unending line of trees for as far as the eye could see, and the group of adolescents flinched collectively when the sound of what was probably some bird calling in the distance rang eerily around them.

"They say that the Shodaime created this training ground, and even now, it's still growing," the oldest Uchiha child spoke in a hushed voice, as if fearful of disturbing the unnatural quiet of their surroundings. It was obvious that they were the only ones in the immediate area, and the forests loomed over their diminutive forms in a somewhat threatening manner.

"My brother said that there are huge, dangerous beasts lurking here," another of the clan's children whispered with the same cautious tone as the first. "…he said that we should never go in here until we are at least Chuunin in rank."

"Dangerous beasts?" the third scoffed, looking quite skeptical as he did so. "What dangerous beasts? Don't tell me that you really believe all those rumors about the omukade just waiting to snatch up naughty little kids and eat them up. What are you, a baby? "

He was referring to the mythical giant man-eating centipedes, often used to threaten disobedient children into behaving.

The boy in question flushed. "N-no! O-Of course not! I was just testing to see if Sasuke would fall for it!"

The second son of their clan head was obviously the youngest out of the group of them, and he also didn't seem to be paying much attention to his cousins. Actually, he wasn't even showing a lot of interest in his surroundings and the others were beginning to think that he was being quite the wet blanket. They didn't know why he even bothered to tag along if he was going to be such a spoilsport.

The boys looked at each other meaningfully, and one of them subtly nudged the other, a look of sly mischief on his face.

"Hey, Sasuke, I have an idea."

* * *

Sakura hiked through the training grounds carefully, eyeing her surroundings curiously as she meandered through the ever-changing terrain. She had never wandered this deeply into Konoha's training sector before; there were at least a hundred training fields that were reserved exclusively for general shinobi usage which civilians were explicitly barred from accessing, and not even Academy students were allowed to enter unless accompanied by an authority figure. Well, at least they had all been verbally warned not to venture into the training fields, but technically, there was no written law forbidding the students from actually doing so, just a clear understanding that the training sector was a dangerous place for individuals who were not strong or fast enough to overcome the myriad obstacles of ninjas practicing their art as well as the wild creatures living in the dense woodlands.

Needless to say, Sakura was feeling rather nervous as she carefully treaded her way down a well-worn dirt path that Itachi-chan was guiding her along. She had been uncertain and apprehensive when her pet led her into the training sector, but Ita-chan had always had a good nose and he had never failed to find her no matter where she went, so she was very sure that Sasuke must be somewhere in one of the training grounds if that was what the weasel had indicated. But it didn't make much sense; the Uchiha clan had their own private training fields where Sasuke could always be found during his training periods, so what was he doing in this area today?

Common sense told Sakura that it was not a good idea to enter the restricted zone, that she should turn away and wait for another opportunity to speak with Sasuke instead, but there was a disconcerting feeling of urgency that plagued a small part of her, a determination to find the young Uchiha no matter what, _right now_. And so she followed Itachi-chan as her pet continued to track Sasuke.

Sakura paused briefly and wiped at the perspiration on her forehead with the back of her hand. The weather was warm and humid, and a glance at the skies quickly showed that the sun was going to set soon. Concern flared in the pink-haired child's mind; they had already been wandering in the training sector for nearly an hour; just where was Sasuke? It was already getting quite late, but Sakura was reluctant to turn back now when she was already so far in.

She was feeling a bit hot and thirsty, but thankfully enough, she had come equipped for all sorts of emergency situations. Her frequent training with Naruto had taught her the value of always carrying along basic supplies and first aid materials whenever they went outdoors, and her preparedness was coming in really handy right now.

"Ita-chan," the pink-haired child called out to the streak of black scampering a small ways ahead of her, taking a quick sip from her canteen after she did so. "Do you want some water too?"

Her pet quickly scurried back to her, and the two had a quick rest before they continued on their way. The long, invigorating walk had chased off all the lingering doubts and fears she had been harboring when she had first left home, and now she was filled with nothing but a firm resolve to take back her friend.

"Ita-chan, ganbare! We will reach Sasuke soon!"

* * *

Sasuke skulked under the thick cluster of towering trees, warily watching the shadowy surroundings as he followed the distant sounds of trickling water back to its source. The requirements of his older cousins had been pretty straightforward; enter the training ground, head for the nearest stream and catch a fish to prove that he had been there. It was a simple enough challenge to fulfill, and Sasuke just wanted to get it all over with so that this entirely pointless outing could end and he could go back to his training.

His cousins were…alright people, he supposed. They were the children whom he had grown up with and they were kind of average. Even though they were all older than he was, none of them had awakened their Sharingan yet and there was only one who just recently mastered the Goukakyuu no Jutsu, the technique that all young Uchiha had to know as a coming of age tradition. If he had to honest, he would admit that they weren't particularly outstanding at all as far as their ninja skills were considered, but they were…_familiar_ to him, and so he grudgingly accepted their company. He was starting to regret his decision though. Not even two months had passed, and already Sasuke was growing quite tired of having to accommodate his relatives' whims. They weren't entirely to blame, though. He was just…not interested.

The young Uchiha slogged through the dense forestry with a single minded resoluteness to catch that stupid fish as quickly as possible so that he could go home already. Glancing carefully around at his surroundings, he supposed he could understand why his cousins were so hesitant and overly dramatic about entering this training area. There was a really heavy, oppressive air of danger that cloaked the place like the shroud of Death, and a prickling, disconcerting sensation at the back of his neck as if he was constantly being watched. The fact that light barely penetrated through the thick rainforest canopy overhead simply added to the intimidating atmosphere of the place, and up close, the trees were so unimaginably gigantic that even their roots were at least several times the height of an adult man. Sasuke had already lost count of the number of times he had to make a detour around one of these humongous living constructs in order to continue to his destination, and by now, the eerie, forbidding atmosphere wafting around had mostly lost its effect on him, leaving behind nothing but a sullen, angry boy trudging noisily through the thick undergrowth of the immense forest, his mood turning blacker by the second as he did so.

There was really nothing special about this place. Why the Konoha ninja would spread such exaggerated rumors was utterly beyond him. Sasuke decided that they must have been trying to prevent troublesome civilians from getting lost in this overwhelming wilderness and therefore had thought up frightening stories to warn away people who weren't supposed to enter here. It was unfortunate that no one had bothered to share the memo with his cousins, or he would have been spared this tedious trip altogether.

The bad tempered nine year old was busy muttering indignities under his breath, and he failed to notice the dark, hulking shadow that had been soundlessly stalking him for the past five minutes or so.

Then, the sudden snap of a twig under a huge padded paw sounded as loud as an explosion in the unnaturally silent jungle.

_It_ was right behind him.

Sasuke froze.

The dark, animalistic growl was so deafening that the stunned boy could feel his bones rattling from the terrifying sound. The hair at the back of his neck stood straight up at the sound, and his every instinct screamed 'Danger' at him. The irrational surge of fear that gripped him threatened to hinder his reflexes, and his heart rate sped up, his breathing quickening rapidly.

Sasuke slowly turned around.

Towering menacingly over him was one of the over five hundred reasons why Training Ground Number Forty Four was also known as the Forest of Death.

Sasuke's eyes widened to the size of saucers.

It was the largest tiger that he had ever seen in his entire life. Its bared, lethally sharp fangs were at least as long as a machete, and it was already slavering at the prospect of impending dinner. Faintly, it began to occur to the young Uchiha that such a monolithic forest would naturally be inhabited by equally gigantic wildlife.

_Crap. _

The huge, hulking beast threw its head back and let out a thunderous roar.

Then, it charged.

* * *

The Uchiha cousins waiting outside the training grounds stared nervously at each other as time stretched. It had been over half an hour since the second son of their clan head had entered the restricted area and there was still no sign of his return. There was an anxious tension growing between the older boys as they exchanged increasingly worried glances, and nobody was quite brave enough to ask the question that was swirling in their heads.

_What if something had happened to Sasuke? _

"Er, so what do we do now?" One of young ninjas-in-training murmured, sounding meek and subdued. His cousin wasted no time smacking him upside the head.

"This is all your fault, baka! Why did you have to open your mouth and dare Sasuke to go in there?! Do you know what kind of trouble we will be in if something happens to the brat? Fugaku-sama will have our heads!"

"Don't yell at me! You weren't complaining earlier! Besides, I didn't really think that he'd actually want to go in."

"That's the problem! You weren't thinking at all!"

"Stop!" the third Uchiha interrupted before his two cousins could start arguing some more. "We need to figure out what to do now! Should we go in and find Sasuke?"

At his question, all three turned to stare into the intimidating forest that made up Training Ground Number Forty Four. By now, the sun was less than an hour away from completely setting, and the encroaching darkness made their surroundings seem even more eerie and ominous than was the norm. The children felt their spines tingle with trepidation just at the mere notion of having to enter the increasingly scary area.

"You are right; we shouldn't have come here," the second one whispered, suitably cowed. "_What do we do_?"

Nobody said a thing as they stared into the intimidating jungle, their hearts heavy with dread and fear.

Then, the de facto leader of the group spoke, his mind made up. "…Let's just go back first."

"But what about Sasuke?"

"We will go and get help," the same boy bit out harshly, his uneasiness quickly turning into resentment. This whole thing would not have happened if Sasuke hadn't gone into the Forest of Death. Now, they were all going to be in trouble and really, that boy was such an utter pain to deal with. If not for the demands of their parents to 'play nice' with the son of their clan leader, none of the boys here would have even bothered to pander to the younger Uchiha like they had – Sasuke was not a very interesting playmate, after all.

It was at that moment when a pink-haired girl appeared along the dirt path that led from the village and the boys immediately stiffened, their expressions of guilt and apprehension nearly impossible to hide.

Sakura recognized them on sight. Those three were Sasuke and Itachi-kun's relatives and they were also seniors who were attending the Academy. It was not difficult to notice them as Sasuke had been hanging around them recently, and their presence was further proof that her friend must be somewhere around here as well.

Encouraged by her discovery, the young girl quickly trotted up to the older children, but as she neared them, the relief on her face quickly changed to confusion when she saw no sign of Sasuke in the immediate vicinity. Sakura frowned slightly but did not forget her manners. Bowing to the three sempai, she greeted them politely before quickly asking them for the whereabouts of their younger cousin.

For a while, no one answered her question, and Sakura's eyes sharpened with curiosity at the uneasy looks the boys exchanged with each other. There was a strange tension in the air that the pink-haired child could not help but pick up on, and her head canted slightly to the side as she observed the Uchiha kids.

"…No," one of them said at last in response to her query. "We don't know where Sasuke is. It's getting late; we are going back home."

There was a vague murmur of assent amongst the boys and then they quickly left. None of them would look her in the eyes as they brushed past, and that unsettling feeling spreading in her chest only grew further.

Sakura watched them go, and then Itachi-chan squeaked and caught her attention, pawing frantically at the gates of the forbidding looking training ground spread before them.

"Ita-chan…!" Sakura whispered, staring into the huge, dark forests beyond the barb-wired fence. Her pet weasel was scratching vigorously at the dirt, as if trying to dig its way into the enclosed area. The nine year old kunoichi-in-training stared warily at the intimidating warning signs that were posted on the fences, common sense telling her that going into that place would be a _bad idea_.

But…if Sasuke was really somewhere in there, he might really need help.

Also, those Uchiha-sempai were acting really strange…

Sakura hurried over to the black mustelid and crouched down beside it. There was no time to waste; the skies were getting darker and darker and very soon it would be impossible to see anything in front of her. "Are you sure, Ita-chan? Sasuke is really inside?"

Her animal companion chittered in affirmative, and Sakura's eyes narrowed with determination. She did not know what had possessed the Uchiha boy to go into such an obviously dangerous place, but something was really weird about this entire situation and the pink-haired girl was filled with the urge to make sure that nothing untoward had happened to her friend. Checking that her satchel was secured, Sakura called Itachi-chan back to her and looked contemplatively at the fence once more. Then, her decision made, she grabbed onto the rigid metallic mesh and started to climb. Going up was no trouble at all, but it took a bit of skillful maneuvering to get past the looping barbed wire at the top and carefully pick her way back down. Still, she got through it relatively unscathed, and once on the other side, Itachi-chan wasted no time jumping off of her and leading the way once more.

Sakura quickly plunged after the mustelid into the dense forests with no hesitation whatsoever. There was a terrible sense of urgency in her now, a need to see for herself that Sasuke was safe and not in danger. The adrenaline rushing through her veins lent her the courage and the firm resolve to continue running headlong into the dangerous woods, her heart pounding in her chest and her breaths coming out of her mouth in quick pants. She also did not fail to miss how this restricted training area seemed even more forbidding and menacing now that she was in it, but she refused to entertain that line of thought for long.

What was Sasuke looking for in here?

Sakura did not get her question answered right away, but after fifteen minutes of running after Itachi-chan, the weasel suddenly skidded to a stop and went completely still, standing on its short hind legs, its posture erect and alert. He was also quite obviously looking at something in the distance, and it took a while for Sakura to make out what had caught its attention so. Partially hidden by the thick cluster of trees a hundred meters or so away, Sakura could vaguely make out a humongous moving shadow in hot pursuit of a much smaller, human-like silhouette. It was getting too dark to make out any distinctive features, and Sakura struggled to figure out exactly what she was looking at. Then, she heard a barely perceptible yell before what was clearly a fireball lit up her entire field of vision, and, suddenly, she could see what was going on with crystal clarity.

The pink-haired girl felt her heart stop for a brief moment when she got her first good look at the humongous shadow. It was by far the largest tiger she had ever seen, and even from afar, she could tell that the hulking, menacing beast clearly meant business as it went after its prey with a ferocious, ravenous intent, not even deterred by the huge ball of flames that had been meant to intimidate it into retreat. And its prey-

_S-S-Sasuke!_

Sakura's eyes went wide with shock. In the fading light of the rapidly dissipating Goukakyuu, she could just barely make out the exhausted features of the young Uchiha boy, looking visibly battered and dirt smudged as he stood his ground and faced down the vicious animal. He was wild eyed and disheveled, his clothes torn and dirty like he had just spent the last hour rolling around the undergrowth. He was breathing hard and visibly shaking from stress and exhaustion as he sank into a taijutsu stance, ready to take on the huge tiger since it obviously would not let him go without a fight.

This was bad. This was _really_ bad.

"Ita-chan," Sakura whispered, a hushed urgency in her voice that quickly ensured the weasel heeded her immediately. The young girl looked into the beady eyes of her highly intelligent pet. "Find help. Quick."

The black-furred mustelid hesitated briefly, squeaking in protest, but Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Go, Ita-chan!" Her tone was firm and brooked no arguments, and it was so unusual for the normally gentle girl to speak so that Ita-chan reluctantly heeded her order, turning in a quick flash and nimbly darting off in the direction they had come from.

Sakura, too, exploded into action, dashing over to where Sasuke was at her fastest speed; there was nothing in her mind right now but the need to assist her friend. Sasuke was not in a very good position at the moment and if she did not do anything to help, then it was likely he was going to be the tiger's dinner very soon. As she neared, she quickly realized that the ferocious beast was even larger in size than she had first thought, and even though fear made her break out in a cold sweat, her bright green eyes took in everything, from the way the gigantic tiger was towering over the comparably diminutive form of Sasuke to the way the boy was struggling to keep standing on a leg that was injured and bleeding profusely.

The animal bared its fangs and lifted a huge forepaw, obviously intending to swat at the boy, and it was apparent to Sakura that if the hit connected, Sasuke was going to be badly injured. The desperate situation kept her panic at bay and she immediately identified what she had to do. Her childish face turning grim with purpose, Sakura bravely charged the beast that was a least a few hundred times heavier than herself, her hand instinctively reaching into her weapons pouch strapped to her thigh to grab a handful of shuriken in preparation for her assault.

This would be her first time putting all of her hard earned techniques and knowledge to practical use, and the girl quivered inwardly with nervousness. Her fingers tightened against the dull edges of the throwing stars, and Sakura braced herself for the upcoming scrimmage, her eyes fixed doggedly on her target the way Itachi-kun had taught her. She was small and fast, and she swiftly cleared the last few meters with an agile leap, bursting into the clearing even as she quickly took aim and let loose a spray of shuriken on the rampaging tiger. Most of her attacks missed, and even as Sakura winced inwardly and swore to herself to train harder to improve her throwing accuracy, she was also quite pleased with the results. After all, the first contact with the enemy was almost always a diversion, and the animal was instantly distracted from its prey, snarling with annoyance when one or two of the minuscule but razor sharp shuriken stuck in its paw like annoying burrs.

Sakura landed right beside Sasuke, a kunai already in hand and ready to defend against the beast at a moment's notice. "Sasuke," she gasped out, breathing hard from her exertions. "Are you okay?"

The young Uchiha could not quite comprehend what had just happened. One moment, he had been very sure that he was going to be flattened under the massive paw of the tiger than had been hunting him, and the next he had somehow managed to escape his grisly fate and Sakura, of all people, was there beside him. He could only stare at her anxious, concerned demeanor, too shocked to react immediately.

"Can you move?" Sakura asked quickly from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes were looking fearfully at the huge, angry tiger that was now eying them both in a dangerously hateful manner, and her defensive stance that was taught by the Academy was textbook perfect. She was shaking slightly, obviously terrified of the humongous man eating beast in front of her, but still she did not break out of her form, determined to guard her friend as if her life depended on it.

The tiger did not wait for the two children to finish their chitchat. With an angry roar, it managed to shake off the throwing stars stuck in its paw. Then, surging forward, it lowered its head, opened its cavernous deathtrap of a mouth and attempted to snap at them. Sakura and Sasuke backpedalled clumsily, the former squeaking as she stumbled back whereas the latter hissed in pain when his instinctual bid to preserve his own life jolted his wounded leg and caused agony to explode across his senses.

"Sasuke!" Sakura lunged out and grabbed him by the arm when he paused briefly to gather himself, literally jerking him out of Death's Door as a loud, audible snap of jaws lined with sharp, jagged teeth resounded mere inches away from them. Desperation racing through her veins, Sakura quickly took the opportunity to throw her kunai at the tiger's nose. Much to her shock, the knife barely made a mark on the animal's thick hide, bouncing off the hungry animal as if it was a wad of wet tissue. Snarling like a demon, the unstoppable beast snapped at them again, and this time Sakura yelled as she threw herself back to avoid getting bit by the tiger's huge fangs, barreling into Sasuke and taking him down with her as well.

Sensing victory, the tiger pressed its advantage, now so near that the two children were as good as sitting ducks in its mouth. If nothing was done, then they really were going to be eaten there and then. Panicking, Sakura threw herself in front of the injured Sasuke, ignoring the boy's shout of protest to launch her last attack. She had no choice but to think, fast. Conventional weapons had proved to be ineffective on such a gigantic beast, so Sakura would only have this one chance to make it work, or they would both be too dead for any of it to matter afterward. They could not run, and they could not fight, so there was only one last thing that she could try.

Sakura's hand flew straight into her satchel, frantically searching for the item she needed by touch alone. Scrambling to her feet, she quickly proved to be agile enough to evade the tiger's attack. From the corner of her eye, she could see Sasuke struggling to get up to assist as well, but that would not do. Resolutely, she leapt lightly onto the boy's stomach and used him as a springboard, knocking the breath out of him and forcing him back down onto the ground and out of harm's way even as she threw herself back into the fray, doggedly meeting the tiger head on as her hand finally closed around the item that she had been trying to find.

Relief filled her. This would work. There was no way it would not, and she would bet her life and that of Sasuke's on this last gambit. She repeated it in her mind again and again, trying to gain courage for what she had to do. Her heart pounded madly in her ears.

Whipping out the glass bottle from her satchel, the pink-haired child tried to time her approach as best as she could. The beast's missed attack lent her a split second opportunity to make her move, and she quickly leapt at it, knowing that she had no choice but to risk her proximity to the tiger in order for her plan to work.

Sasuke yelled when he saw what the pink-haired girl had done. "What are you doing?!"

The young kunoichi-in-training ignored her friend and concentrated on the task at hand. The tiger was actually large enough for her to vault clumsily onto its short, sloping muzzle and the sheer size of the angry beast under her was terrifying, to say the least. The animal snarled in rage at the alien weight pressing down on its snout but was unable to do much else as the small, quick girl reared up and wasted no time smashing the glass bottle in her hand against its forehead, using all the strength that she could possibly muster in that single moment to do so.

The harmless, deceptively nondescript item shattered on impact, and a clear, sharp smelling liquid spilled forth from its innards, drenching the tiger and most importantly, leaking into its animalistic cat-slit eyes.

The effect was instantaneous.

Sitting on the ground below, Sasuke gawked in disbelief as the ferocious beast suddenly lost its killing intent and started to _scream_ in pain. The hair rising sounds of abject agony coming from such a huge animal were unearthly and frankly terrifying, and shocked and bewildered by the unexpected turn of events, the young Uchiha could only wonder what Sakura had done to cause it to react thusly.

The animal was shrieking and thrashing about clumsily by then, and though disoriented and blind, it was still made of several tons of lean, mean muscle, and a forceful, desperate shake of its head quickly dislodged the pink-hair girl from her precarious perch and sent her flying back to the forest floor. She managed to twist her torso and fall awkwardly on her hands and knees, her persevering dedication to calisthenics designed to train her body into becoming more limber already starting to pay off. The landing was painful and jarred her joints, but it was not debilitating and, even though it hurt to move, she quickly scrambled up to her feet all the same and raced back towards the still gawping Sasuke.

Sakura stumbled and nearly fell again in her haste to get away from the huge, screaming tiger behind her. The girl was in full panic mode by now; she wasn't sure what had possessed her to face the raging beast head on in the first place, but now that she had actually done it, her suddenly uncoordinated legs felt like they were made of rubber and, for some reason, her hand was throbbing and hurting so bad that tears were flowing down her face involuntarily. At the moment, her instincts were prodding fiercely at her to get as far away from danger as possible, and all she could think of at the moment was to grab Sasuke and then get out of there ASAP.

Sasuke stared at Sakura as the pink-haired girl stampeded her way over to him, a wild look in her eyes even as in the background, the tiger yowled and reared up on its hind legs, as if trying to claw at its eyes only to teeter backwards and fall on its back with a thunderous thump.

Sakura – _that weak girl_ – had just_…taken down a tiger._

Said weak girl had dashed up to him by then. "Let's get out of here, Sasuke! Hurry up! Can you still walk?"

She didn't really wait for him to answer. With unexpected strength, she grabbed onto his hand and heaved him to his feet, and then turned around and ran off at top speed in a direction opposite to that of where the tiger was, the latter still struggling to undo whatever it was that Sakura had done to it. Since the pink-haired kunoichi-in-training was still clutching onto his hand in a death grip, Sasuke was dragged along as well, and fueled by adrenaline and a 'flight' instinct, he ran with her automatically, bursting through the dense undergrowth and running and running and running until they were panting so hard that they could hardly breathe properly anymore and it felt as though their hearts were going to burst right out of their chests.

The two children finally staggered to a stop in another clearing, and Sakura immediately fell onto her knees. She had never ran so hard before in her entire life, and judging by the haggard expression on Sasuke's face, neither had he.

But they were still alive, and that tiger had stopped chasing after them.

The two children stared at each other, and the camaraderie forged from a near death experience was impossible to ignore. Sakura could not help herself; she wheezed out a small laugh of victory, exhilarated from surviving her first live battle. "I thought that we were going to die! Thank god that it worked; I was so scared just now!"

Sasuke just stared at the girl as she continued an endless stream of babble. It was hard to believe that this pink-haired…weakling was the same person who had brought down the tiger. Speaking of which…

"What did you do?" the young Uchiha demanded to know, cutting off all that unnecessary chitchat immediately. "That tiger. What did you do to it?"

He had thrown all of the weapons that he had on his person at it and the beast had not even felt them, and it also wasn't fazed by his Goukakyuu. He had been in a very bad position; the huge animal had clipped his leg with a glancing swipe of its dangerous claws earlier and the injury had been bad enough to impede his movements. He was no longer able to move quickly enough to evade the tiger, he no longer had any weapons to defend himself with, and his most offensive technique had proved to be completely useless against the large beast. He was exhausted from enduring the animal's fierce, determined assault for the better part of an hour, and he had clearly run out of options.

Then, just as he was about resort to taijutsu to defend himself against the humongous man eating predator – a futile move if there ever was one, but he still had to try – Sakura of all people had suddenly burst into the clearing, rushing to his rescue. He still could not believe his eyes. She was quicker and more agile than he had ever thought possible for someone of her caliber, and there was no hesitation in her whatsoever as she moved to engage the tiger. The fierce determination in her bright green eyes when she turned to look at him briefly threw him for a loop – had Sakura always been so reliable?

Then, he had watched as she flew fearlessly towards the raging beast and did something to it – and actually managed to defeat the animal that he himself had been struggling to keep at bay. He was too shocked to even begrudge her for pulling off such an unreasonable feat. Unbelievable. When had Sakura become so strong?

Then, the bitter, angry part of him finally responded. _Of course she's strong. Nii-san, no, Itachi is training her, after all._ The reminder made his eyes darken with resentment, and he promptly remembered his jealous rage towards this girl and that idiot whisker-faced boy whom his brother had chosen over him. The fierce surge of anger and acrimonious vitriol that welled in him was enough to drive away every last bit of fleeting comradeship and amity that he had felt towards her.

Oblivious to his rising agitation, Sakura just beamed at him through her own dirt streaked and disheveled features. The girl was thrilled that her friend had stopped ignoring her and was talking to her again. "I threw a bottle of rubbing alcohol in its eyes. That stuff stings real bad when even when the smallest amount of it touches your eyes. I wasn't sure that it would work, but thank god it did!"

Rubbing alcohol…? That was it?

The look on Sasuke's face was one of disbelief, but Sakura continued to speak. "I always carry a first aid kit with me, you see, and we couldn't hurt the tiger at all with the usual physical attacks, so-"

So she quickly changed her strategy and approached the animal with a different attack instead, even going so far as to make use of the resources available to her as unconventional weapons against her target. It was pure genius, and it hinted of the girl having a highly tactical mind. Had Sakura always been so smart?

For some reason, the realization upset Sasuke, and it made him feel as if he had been deliberately tricked all this time – just as how he had been deceived by his own brother and his two supposed 'friends.' The boy stiffened and clenched his fists, his eyes shadowed.

Eventually, Sakura's chatter trailed off to an awkward silence when she sensed his increasingly dark mood. Sakura's face fell slightly, and then her eyes grew wide with concern when she saw his injured calf. Immediately, the girl went up to him. "Sasuke, your leg is still bleeding!" She started to reach into her satchel to pull out the reminder of her first aid supplies, and then winced when she finally noticed her own sluggishly bleeding hand. There were shallow lacerations all over her palm, and some even had bits of glass embedded in them. They were the price she had to pay in order to get the Isopropyl on the tiger; the wounds had _burned_ when she shattered the bottle of rubbing alcohol, sharp broken glass slicing into her unprotected flesh even as the disinfectant splashed concurrently on the freshly created cuts. They were mostly numb by now, but she should probably do something about the glass shards soon.

Gingerly pawing through the contents of her bag, the pink-haired girl realized that she had only brought along a single roll of bandage; she had not expected to be battling humongous tigers when she had set out that afternoon to look for Sasuke, after all. Biting her lips, Sakura decided that Sasuke would need it more than she did; it would be really bad if he could not walk due to his injuries, but she could still move if she went without treatment right now.

"Here; you need to stop the bleeding." She took out the bandage and wanted to offer to help him with his wound, but the boy was quite prickly and clearly on the defensive, so she just meekly passed him the sterile bindings and left him to it. The sun had nearly set completely by now, but there was still a little light in the atmosphere, though even that was fading fast. They had to decide what to do quickly but first, it was best to stop for a while and take stock of the situation.

Sakura's face brightened when she remembered that she had also brought along a generous bento. Pulling out the large, cloth wrapped box from her satchel, she quickly undid the bindings and removed the lid, then happily offered its contents of neatly arranged rice balls to her Uchiha friend.

"Here, Sasuke! You must be hungry too, so let's share this, okay? I made your favorite; omusubi with okaka shavings. There are even some cherry tomatoes in here too, so eat with me! Let's replenish our energy before we go on!"

She made it sound as if they were at a picnic, and not in the middle of one of the most dangerous training grounds in the entirety of Konoha. It was at the tip of Sasuke's mouth to refuse her offer, but before he could actually do so, his stomach let out an almighty grumble of hunger at the sight and smell of the mouthwatering food presented before him, reminding him loudly that he hadn't even had lunch yet and it was nearing dinnertime by now.

Sasuke turned a dull red from embarrassment.

It was all Sakura could do to keep a straight face and pretend not to notice the boy's chagrin. Sasuke had always been prickly like that, but most importantly, since she had made an effort to accommodate his pride, he quickly grabbed an omusubi and turned his back to her, doing his best to pretend to be engrossed with the food. Sakura had to quell a small smile as she took a serving herself, nibbling hungrily on the quick meal. The next few minutes were passed in relative tranquility as the two children devoured their respective onigiri. Much to Sakura's delight, Sasuke's mood seemed to mellow out once the edge of his hunger was taken off, and as the boy slowly took a second helping from the bento, he reluctantly asked the question that had been plaguing him.

"What are you doing here?"

He still didn't understand how on earth Sakura could have been coincidentally nearby in this massive, dangerous (now he knew why it was called the Forest of Death) training area. Unless this was the sort of place that she and the dobe consistently trained in, it did not make sense at all for her to be here.

Sakura blinked. She swallowed her mouthful of rice before responding.

"I was looking for you," she replied earnestly. "I asked Ita-chan for help and he led me here. I wasn't sure that I would find you, though…What are you doing here anyway, Sasuke? I don't think that we are allowed to be in here…"

The boy grunted and stuffed the last of his omusubi into his mouth. He had no intention of answering her question and started to shuffle off. "Thanks for the food," he said curtly instead, leaving Sakura to stare after him in a crestfallen manner. However, as resentful of this girl as he currently was, it still pricked at his conscience to just leave her behind and go off on his own. Despite his less than gregarious attitude towards her, she had saved his life – even though it was quite obviously a fluke – and she had also fed him and supplied him with first aid materials to tend to his injuries. He owed her now, whether he liked it or not, and at last, he stopped and gritted out. "I'm getting out of this place. If you don't want to be stuck here then you should come with."

Sasuke still cared. The knowledge encouraged Sakura, and the pink-haired girl quickly packed up her things and wasted no time darting after the Uchiha. "Thanks, Sasuke!" she called out, falling into place beside him. It was getting really dark by now, and without her pet's sharp nose and innate sense of direction, she was utterly lost in this humongous training ground. It was good that she had Sasuke with her; the forest looked really scary as night descended and the shadows stretched.

Unfortunately, after fifteen minutes of traipsing around the place and returning to the same clearing _thrice_, something was obviously not right. Judging by the increasingly frustrated look on Sasuke's expression, this was not intentional.

"Erm, Sasuke, should we just wait here for someone to come find us instead?" Sakura offered quietly at last. "I asked Ita-chan to get help, so people will be looking for us soon?"

The nine-year old Uchiha scowled mulishly, visibly offended by her suggestion. "I can get out of this place on my own," he insisted stubbornly. "And my cousins are waiting for me outside, so I have to make it back on my own or I will fail the dare."

"Dare?" Sakura echoed, her brow creasing with bewilderment. Sasuke snapped his mouth shut; he had revealed too much. It was too late, for the intelligent pink-haired child quickly put two and two together and came to her own conclusion. She gasped.

"Sasuke…don't tell me that you came here just to fulfill a dare?" she sounded stunned. Sasuke had the decency to look somewhat embarrassed – in an angry way.

"Shut up," he snapped defensively. "I can do whatever I want."

Sakura just continued to stare at him, too used to his abrasive mannerisms to be hurt by it anymore. Her bright green gaze flickered; she looked indecisive, biting her lips and appearing briefly conflicted before she spoke again. "…I saw your cousins outside the gates just now when I was looking for you," she revealed slowly, quickly gaining his attention. The young girl eyed her friend cautiously. "Erm, I asked the Uchiha-san if they knew where you were, but they said they haven't seen you at all." Sakura paused, and then continued softly. "They also returned to the village already."

"You are lying." Sasuke wasted no time turning on her and accusing harshly. There was a vicious glare on his face and he was obviously very upset. Sakura was taken aback; she had not expected such an explosive response from him. "They are my friends; they wouldn't leave me here alone."

His last, defensive sentence suddenly made everything very clear, and Sakura's eyes widened slightly at the realization. There was a long silence. "I didn't lie," she replied quietly at last, subdued, but he already knew that. "Maybe they went back to the village to find help as well."

If that was so, then they wouldn't have told her that they hadn't seen him at all, and even with him already missing in the training ground and in potential danger, they hadn't even tried to warn her away from the place. The so called 'friends' he had made for himself had as good as abandoned him to his fate, whereas the ones he wanted nothing to do with, who had _betrayed_ him, had stupidly leapt into danger to defend him without a second's pause.

Sasuke was conflicted. He wanted so badly to be angry – to stay angry – but how could he, in light of everything that had happened today? It felt like he had been angry for such a long time, and…he was _tired_ of being angry. It had already been over a month, and his rage and fury had done nothing for the hurt he felt inside, and he was getting really sick of it. He wanted to stop; he really wanted to stop, but he just didn't know how to anymore, and every time he saw either Sakura or Naruto, the resentment just welled up in his throat like bitter bile and he ended up saying all sorts of mean things so that he could hurt them just as much as they had hurt him. Their angry, 'kicked puppy' reactions made him feel very good about himself for a short while, and then the self-loathing and hate would come flooding back with a vengeance,_ and it was painful_.

Sasuke was sick of it.

"What do you want?" the boy whispered at last. He had also stopped walking in favor of turning his full attention to Sakura. "Why must you keep bugging me?"

Sakura stopped as well, and she stared at her Uchiha classmate for a while. He looked so defeated and upset that she could not understand why he was asking her this question. How could she leave him alone when he was like this? Her eyes filled with empathy for her friend; he was hurting too. "Sasuke," she started only for him to cut in.

"Isn't this enough?" he asked roughly, looking increasingly upset. "My brother would rather train you and Naruto than me. You already won. What more do you want? You have Nii-san now, you don't need me anymore! Actually, I know that you guys never wanted me at all, so you can just stop pretending. How much longer do you want to lie to me, huh?"

The acrimony in his tone affected Sakura, and it agitated her as well.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, confused by his accusation. "Itachi-kun is Itachi-kun. Sasuke is Sasuke. I don't understand!"

The boy sneered. "You really want to do it this way? Fine. _Fine,_" he spat, his pale, distinct features twisting with fury.

"How about you and that dobe being secretly trained by my brother? Nii-san never has time to train me; but it's different with you two. How do you think I felt when I knew? How long have you guys been keeping this from me? You were supposed to be my friends; you keep talking about how important friendship is, and then you turn around and do this! What kind of friends betray each other, huh? You were just using me all along, weren't you? Were you laughing at me while you were at it? Was it funny to all of you, stringing me along like an idiot? Did my brother enjoy humiliating me as well? He must think that I'm a stupid younger brother, being played like a fool. So pathetic, right?"

The accusations were spewing out of his mouth like an unstoppable toxic flood, and Sakura felt the weight of every word like a slap to the face. Worse still was the bright sheen of tears that coated Sasuke's eyes; he truly believed every word he said, and that realization made the situation even more unbearable for Sakura.

"So you see, I know everything now," the genuinely upset boy spoke in a controlled, quavering voice, trying to keep himself composed. He stared at her. "And I hate you. I hate all of you. Even Itachi. Tell him that he's the worst brother ever and I wish that he wasn't mine. Such a lousy brother, I don't need-"

_Slap_.

The force of Sakura's tiny palm striking his face was strong enough to turn Sasuke's head to the side. Most importantly, it promptly stopped the tirade of senseless rage and hate that the boy had been regurgitating, and the girl could not quite bring herself to feel sorry for hitting him. Her hand stung painfully from putting all of her strength into the slap, and Sakura stared at Sasuke with fierce, unhesitating eyes devoid of remorse or guilt at hitting her friend. Those words that he had spouted in the heat of his anger were extremely callous and hurtful; was this what Sasuke had been thinking all this time?

Sakura started to get mad.

"Shut _up_, Sasuke," she whispered sharply. Her earlier uncertain and indecisive demeanor was gone, and in its place was a determined, focused girl who was ready to take off the kid gloves and show a certain bigoted Uchiha the error of his ways. "That's not true. Don't say things that you know are not true! Is the Itachi-kun you know someone like that? He is your beloved nii-san; you should know him best, right? How can you say such things of him?"

Sakura could still recall the look on Itachi's face that fateful day in the park when Sasuke had whispered those hateful words at him before he left, and even now, the older boy's reaction, deceptively mild as it was, still stuck in her mind like an irrepressible snapshot. So this was the reason why Sasuke had blown up at his own brother in the first place. It was all over such an insignificant matter, and the fact that it was just a misunderstanding made everything worse. Sakura couldn't understand it. Sasuke no baka was such a hothead, the pink-haired girl thought with disbelief.

"You are wrong, Sasuke. Itachi-kun has never trained us," Sakura revealed then, fiercely. "He only taught us how to train ourselves, and how can you even think that we were all training in secret just to spite you? Is this how you have always pictured us? Sasuke, Naruto and I wanted to train with _you_! We _asked_ you all the time! If we didn't want you around at all, why would we even do that?!"

The more Sakura spoke, the more fired up she became, quickly losing more and more of that deceptively shy and maidenly personality of hers as she took on a more assertive and mulish stance. She was also speaking rapidly enough that Sasuke could not even slip a word in edgewise, and as a result of his loss of momentum and the throbbing pain in his cheek, Sasuke's rage was quickly subsiding.

Unfortunately, Sakura was not yet done. The pink-haired child could not believe that her highly intelligent, 'Number One' in class friend could be so _stupid_.

And of course, the young Uchiha just had to prove her right by opening his mouth. Sasuke scowled. "You are lying," he accused mulishly. "I even saw with my own eyes, and also Nii-san did not deny it!"

Sakura's eyes flared with indignation. She did not appreciate being called a liar, especially when it pertained to such an important matter.

"I'm not lying," she insisted firmly. "Naruto and I were training very hard on our own so that we can be your friends. I was so tired that when I took a quick nap to rest, I wouldn't wake up no matter how hard Naruto tried, and it scared him into looking for Itachi-kun for help. Itachi-kun just came to make sure that I was alright, and then he taught us a chakra control exercise, that's all!" Sakura defended passionately.

"In fact, the only person who actually taught us a jutsu was you, Sasuke. Itachi-kun just provided us with some really helpful suggestions to better improve ourselves, and even then he's always very busy with his duties and we don't get to see him often." Sakura gave the boy a hard stare, resisting the urge to cuff the stubborn Uchiha on the back of his head so that she could literally slap some more sense into him. Like with Naruto, the pink-haired child was beginning to realize that it was actually quite therapeutic to smack your friends around sometimes, especially when they were being idiots.

"And how can you say all those mean things about Itachi-kun! He's your Nii-san, isn't he?"

"Yeah, so what?" Sasuke fired back brashly. "Why should I care about that? He doesn't care about me at all! He likes you guys more than me! I hate him! I hate him the most!"

This time, Sakura really did reach over and walloped Sasuke. With an outraged yell, the girl balled up her fist and boxed her friend right in the eye. Sasuke had seen the attack coming the moment she made it (how could he not, she was blindingly fast, but she was also very obvious), but because he didn't really expect her to actually _try to_ hit him, he did not dodge, and promptly paid for his arrogance. Sasuke stumbled back with a surprised grunt, clutching his throbbing right eye in pain; she had not pulled her punch at all and he was astonished that she could be so strong for a girl – that had actually _hurt_.

Not surprisingly, her attack made him angry, and snarling, the boy dropped his hand from his already bruising and tender eye and prepared an attack of his own, ready to return it tit for tat, when Sakura yelled at him.

"Sasuke, you are so _stupid_!" the agitated girl bellowed angrily on the behalf of her oldest friend. This needed to be said no matter what. How could Sasuke be so _blind_, to not see what herself and even Naruto had always known?

"You are Itachi-kun's most precious little brother! Itachi-kun loves you the most!"

* * *

_::tsuzuku::_

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Well, this will probably be one of my shorter Q&A for 'cabbage patch' so far, mostly because I find that this chapter is largely self-explanatory, and also something of a filler that focuses more on the developing relationship between Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto, as well as the character growth of three younger children than anything else.

Even though that is so, do believe me when I say that this series of events is important for the eventual progression of the plot. I won't spoil it for now, but you will see what I mean in the next installment.

FYI, chapter 14 will finally conclude this current arc, which means that you folks can finally rejoice; the long awaited time skip is coming up soon!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I think the most pressing issue that I may need to clarify in this chapter would be Sakura's battle with the tiger. Some readers will probably think that I have made Sakura's victory over the tiger way too easy, but I'd like to make it clear that her win in this instance can be largely attributed to both luck _and_ opportunity. She was fortunate to have the Isopropyl on hand in that moment of time, and with the use of the chemical, was able to subdue the animal long enough to ensure both her and Sasuke's escape. Keep in mind that if she did not have that hidden ace up her sleeve, then both of the children would have been in really big trouble with the huge beast.

Also, note that _Sakura had not done a single thing to physically fight or subdue the animal_; she had just acted to stall it long enough to suit her purposes, using nothing more than the brain sitting inside of her head, and I think we can all agree that she is smart enough to do that at least. As such, this is why I don't feel that I have superpower-ed her in this scenario, but do tell me what you guys think all the same.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

FYI, rubbing alcohol, or 70% Isopropyl, stings like nobody's business when even the slightest drop touches the eye, so you can imagine how much agony that poor tiger was in when Sakura smashed a whole bottle of it (plus glass shards) right into its face. I also know for a fact that animals with a sharp sense of smell really hate the odor of the rubbing alcohol as it probably hurts their nose as well, so that's a double whammy against the tiger for as far I'm concerned.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Also, a brief cameo of our beloved Ita-chan, as requested by a surprising number of readers. Just for your reference, the average weasel grows to around 8.5 inches long when they reach their adult size, and since Ita-chan is already two feet long (minus his tail), you may assume that he's going to be quite big when he's finally full grown.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I have had readers who asked me about my seemingly random titles, especially for 'cabbage patch.' To be honest, all of the titles of my 50-shinobi themes-related fanfics are the very prompts that had been given to me to write about, so if some of those are not capitalized as most titles should be, it is only because the prompts has been passed to me in that same way.

In the case of 'cabbage patch,' no, I did not begin the plot of this fic with the (now old school and very disturbing looking) Cabbage Patch Kids dolls in mind. Rather, in the past, when young children ask their parents the age old (and very awkward) question of their origins - "Mommy, where did I come from?" – the parents would usually tell them that they were found in a cabbage patch. It's pretty much the same 'the stork carried you here' expression, only in a slightly different context, and I thought that it was quite fitting for this fic as our main characters had all started out very young in the story, and also because Itachi technically found Sakura in the midst of a lot of vegetation (though none remotely cabbage-like) in the very first chapter.

So there you go. One more mystery solved!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

I have had several kind reviewers who had critiqued that my writing style focuses a bit too heavily on introspective POVs. To the few of you who had discerned and pointed out my unfortunate flaw, thank you. I agree with the comments, and have noticed this odd tendency myself recently. Believe it or not, I'm working on curbing my inclination to over describe scenarios, so please be patient as I improve on my art.

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Last but not least, thank you all so much for the kind words and support. I'm always very appreciative of all of your comments and critiques, and as always, I hope that some of you will have enjoyed this latest chapter.

Thanks for reading!

**xXxXxXxXxX**

Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

-paws


	14. Chapter 14

**Title:** cabbage patch

**Author: **paws-bells

**Beta-ed by:** MelissaRose85

**Characters/Pairing: **Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Continuous (InComplete)

**Genre:** Romance/General/Humor

**Word Count:** 13,317

**Theme:** LJ Community, 50-shinobi theme #23, cabbage patch

**Rating: **T (Contains content not suitable for children)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san.

**Summary: **Non-massacre AU. Their story began long before anyone could realize it. The story of a little pink-haired girl child, and a stoic young boy.

**Created on:** 30/05/13

**Completed on:** 26/06/13

**Chapter Last Revised on:** 02/08/13

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

Itachi-chan was not a happy camper.

_Find help_, his mistress Sakura had commanded him, and so he had no choice but to scamper off and do exactly as she dictated, never mind that they were in the middle of the woods and it wasn't as if _help_ was growing from the trees in great abundance. His owner clearly had no idea how difficult it was for a cute, two feet long little weasel like himself to fulfill her impossible demand. Where was he supposed to find help? And running through the dense forest when you were only so big was no walk in the park either; the village center was so far away, and even if he did manage to run into someone, how on earth was he supposed to communicate that his mistress was in trouble? He didn't speak human gibberish!

Really, his owner was completely unreasonable sometimes! If not for the yummy food and the nice belly rubs and the adulating worship and luxurious fur brushing that the pink-haired girl constantly lavished on him, he would have run off a long time ago. But no, and since he wanted to be back home in time for supper (it was Gyudon night), he would have to work his furry little tail off to earn his meal this evening.

Not to mention, he had left his human behind to face what was possibly the largest cat he had ever seen. Just looking at the huge beastie from afar was enough to cause himto quiver in fear, and even though his owner clearly felt the same, instead of running away like any sane being would, his crazy human ran off to confront it instead.

Itachi-chan really hoped that his mistress was still alive and kicking by the time he returned with _help_, because if not he was going to be one very angry weasel, especially after all the effort he was putting into fulfilling her request.

Chittering indignantly, the black mustelid nipped sharply on the right ear of the _help_ that it eventually found three training grounds away from the one he had left Sakura behind in. Needless to say, it was the nearest of the small handful of humans who would recognize him and pay attention enough to try to interpret his weird attempt at weasel Charades.

Uzumaki Naruto did not take well to being the weasel's living chew toy. The young blonde yowled and pinched the tip of the weasel's tail in retaliation, only to promptly receive a paw of sharp claws to the face for his efforts. Boy and mustelid proceeded to brawl it out for about five minutes before they grudgingly came to a truce. By then, the whisker marks on Naruto's cheeks looked more like a Tic-Tac-Toe grid and Itachi-chan was missing several tufts of fur from his tail.

"Quit biting me, stupid," Naruto snapped at the weasel only to be slapped in the mouth by the equally irritated animal. Still, he grudgingly turned down the dirt path on the right as the mustelid had dictated, complaining as he did so. "Can't you just point me the right way? If you bite me again, I'm gonna shave you bald, Ita-chan."

Perched on the boy's shoulder, the weasel huffed haughtily in response, as if saying 'Let's see what my mistress will say about that.'

Naruto grumbled, then picked up his pace once more. The golden-haired fox child had been trying to practice his taijutsu on his own in a quiet, out of the way training field when Sakura-chan's pet weasel had suddenly burst in on him. The animal was usually quite reticent towards him, but for some reason it was climbing all over him this time, and dense as Naruto usually was, it didn't take the boy long to pick up that something was not right in this situation – namely, the conspicuous absence of Sakura-chan.

It wasn't long before the mismatched duo stopped before the huge gates of Training Ground Number Forty Four.

"You've gotta be kidding me."

Naruto surveyed the tall, military grade fences with the trained eye of an experienced prankster. This place was known for its scary horror stories. It was also forbidden to civilians. He had only been in here once, when he was seven years old, curious as heck and apparently none the wiser. Unfortunately, he hadn't gotten very far in before he was caught by a passing nin, and Old Man Hokage had chewed him out thoroughly when he learned of the incident. Even now, Naruto swore that his ears still rang from Jii Jii's two hour long lecture.

The golden haired boy side-eyed his animal companion. "You're trying to tell me that Sakura-chan's in _there_?"

If Naruto wasn't already used to the weasel's bemusing ability to understand human speech, he would have been stunned by the vigorous nods he received from the little mustelid.

In fact, Ita-chan was so vocal about it that he quickly let loosed a series of angry chirps and squeaks, as if furiously berating the lunk head he was sitting on for not moving fast enough to go help out his mistress.

Sensing another impending tantrum exploding from the high strung weasel, Naruto cast one last look around him and then started to climb the fence.

"Fine. But if Sakura-chan's not in there, then your furry ass is mine."

* * *

The trio of Uchiha children looked uneasily at each other as they stood before the property of their clan head. By now, dusk had settled over Konoha, and all around the clan compound, the windows of houses were alit from within.

"H-hey, so how are we going to tell F-Fugaku-sama?" one of them stuttered, already perspiring from the stress and anxiety of having to inform their leader that they had lost his second son.

The oldest boy of the group swallowed and tried to put on a brave face. "We'll just say that Sasuke rushed into the training ground before we could stop him. It's our word against his; if all of us maintain the same story, then the adults will definitely believe us!"

"But…that's not fair to Sasuke, right?" the last one remarked cautiously.

The leader paused guiltily before he quickly shook off his doubts. "It's okay! Sasuke is Fugaku-sama's son; he will not be punished! We should worry about ourselves first!" Then the boy scoffed, looking quite irritated. "Honestly, this is such a _pain_. If I knew that brat would be so bothersome to get along with, I'd have ignored my parents' wishes and avoided him altogether. He's nothing like Itachi-san but yet he is so full of attitude – no wonder he doesn't have any friends."

The other boys timidly murmured in general assent, though they looked vaguely uncomfortable about outright saying it.

"So…do we all agree that it was Sasuke's fault that he got himself lost in the Forest of Death?"

It was then that the temperature around them suddenly plunged drastically. It was not the cold from the ambient atmosphere, it was not the chill of the encroaching night; no, this was a different type of blood curdling sensation altogether.

It was killing intent.

The two youngest Uchiha felt their faces bleach of all color when they saw the person standing behind the unofficial leader of their small group. The oldest child was still frozen in place, his back turned towards the unknown entity that his instincts were screaming in terror over, the unfortunate recipient of the mild Kanashibari no Jutsu that had been cast on him.

In the shadowed, moonlit recesses of the front yard of the Uchiha Main house, the cold, hard stare of Uchiha Itachi was positively deadly as he watched his younger cousins without a word, even though he hardly looked it. He was dressed in civilian wear, his stance perfectly loose and unthreatening, his stoic, angular features neutral and expressionless, but yet, his anger was nearly _palpable_.

Even without the physical manifestation of the Sharingan, his dark eyes glowed with quiet, _protective_ hostility.

The fear in the boys' gaze grew exponentially, and then they were all but hyperventilating, their hearts racing madly in their chests as they suddenly realized just how intimidating their quiet, mild mannered genius of a cousin could be.

No, Itachi-san was _terrifying_, and he hadn't even done anything yet. That might change very soon, though.

The young ninjas-in-training felt the hairs at the back of their necks stand straight up when the heir of their clan finally spoke, his voice icy calm and not an octave above his usual low tenor, but there was no mistaking the razor edge in his deceptively mild tone.

"What did you do to Sasuke?"

* * *

The two children stared at each other for a long while.

An expression of surprise crossed Sakura's face. She had not meant to blurt out what she had.

"_Lies_," Sasuke hissed. "You are lying! My brother- Itachi- he hates me! He doesn't want me! I'm not good enough! I-"

"You are wrong!" Sakura cut in again before the boy could get too far into his bout of self-pity and inadequacy. "If you are not good enough, then what are Naruto and I? You are the top of the class, aren't you? You could perform the Goukakyuu no jutsu a long time ago, right? If you are not good enough, then why are Naruto and I trying so hard to catch up to you?"

"_Because I'm not a good Uchiha_!" Sasuke bellowed then, verbally articulating his insecurities for the very first time. The boy was red faced and wild eyed, and even he looked momentarily shocked that he had revealed such a thing. Sakura stared at him in astonishment.

Huh?

"I'm not good enough! That's why Nii-san hates me! Nii-san was already a Genin when he was nine! He was already training for the Chuunin Exam! I'm still in the Academy! Otou-sama is always telling me that I should be more like Nii-san, that I should try harder, but I can't! _I tried_! I already tried my best! But I'm still not good enough!"

The boy's dark eyes were shimmering with tears, the stress and anxiety that he had kept bottled up in him exploding outwards in a surge of cathartic outburst. "I will _never_ be good enough," he whispered, his composure crumbling. "I'm the worst, and I hate myself the most! No wonder Nii-san doesn't want me anymore; I'm _useless_, _good-for-nothing_, just a _disgrace-_"

Sasuke sounded like he was just repeating what other people had told him, and Sakura's eyes were wide with shock.

"Sasuke-" she whispered, but he was not done yet.

"And then I thought- I thought that you guys really wanted to be my friends," the young Uchiha continued softly, ruthlessly. "I- I was happy. Really happy. I thought, if I'm with you guys, then maybe it will be okay." His eyes met hers and held. His tone turned weak but vicious. "But it was just a lie, wasn't it? You all just pretended to befriend me, but you never even wanted me in the first place. I'm not even good enough for you two; you only cared about my brother too-"

Sakura could not bear to hear the broken words coming out of Sasuke's mouth anymore, and so the girl did the first thing that came to mind.

She stretched her hand over and _jabbed _him right between the eyes. She misjudged the strength needed for the maneuver and might have used a bit more force than necessary, for his head snapped back from the contact and a cross-eyed look of surprise flitted briefly over his face.

"Baka!" she scolded fiercely. "You are already good enough as you are, Sasuke!"

Her honest, unhesitating words made him freeze and stare at her in shock. Sakura did not notice, though; she was on a roll and wasn't about to be stopped now. She could not believe that Sasuke – _the _Sasuke – had always harbored such negative thoughts about himself. He hid it so well that none of them had thought he could feel this way – he was a member of the great Uchiha clan, after all, how could he even _think_ that he was unwanted?

"Even if no one wants you, we want you! You are already our friend!" Then, just for good measure, she jabbed him in his forehead one more time, in case her words had not gotten through his thick skull the first time around. "You promised we would be friends if we managed to get down the Goukakyuu, didn't you? Let's go. Let's get it done. Right now." Green eyes glowing with determination, Sakura grabbed Sasuke by the hand decisively and started to tug him along with her in a purposeful trot.

Surprised by the no-nonsense, take-charge manner that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, Sasuke stupidly stumbled after the girl. His forehead felt slightly tender from all the abuse she had heaped on him, but somehow or another, he did not – could not – shake away the warm hand that was wrapped so firmly around his wrist. "We will find Naruto right now," Sakura declared decisively, and it was enough to jolt the dark-haired boy from his momentarily dazed stupor.

"Dobe…?"

Sakura frowned slightly at his address of the blonde. "Don't call Naruto that," she reproached lightly. "But yeah, we will go to him, and just you watch; we will prove to you that we are good enough to be your friends! Then, we will go and look for Itachi-kun after that, all of us."

This time, Sasuke visibly baulked at her suggestion, his bewildered expression darkening with the stirrings of stubborn pride…and rising panic.

"No! I won't see Nii-san!" There was genuine apprehension in his wild gaze now – his last confrontation with his older brother had left him broken and devastated, and the last thing he wanted was another repeat encounter with this person whom he admired so much, and who could hurt him so easily.

Not surprisingly, Sakura was having none of it. The young kunoichi-in-training had also seemed to gain the strength of an elephant in an instant, and bullishly towed him along even as he started to resist. When on earth had the pinkette gotten this strong?

"Oh, for goodness' sake, Sasuke, don't be ridiculous! We should clear up this misunderstanding quickly!"

"I already told you; Nii-san hates me!"

"No, he doesn't!" Sakura refuted immediately. "You weren't there to see Itachi-kun when-" she cut herself off abruptly only to frown at him. "Well, you just weren't there to see! And besides, who was the one who was angrily yelling hurtful things and then brashly running off in a snit before we could even explain what was going on?"

"Who was the one-" Sasuke broke off, his ears turning red. The pink-haired girl gave her friend an exasperated glower.

"That was you, baka!" It was her new nickname for Sasuke, and somehow it fit to a tee; she still could not believe that the boy could be so silly sometimes.

But the Uchiha was still obviously resistant to the idea. "I don't want to see Nii-san," he insisted mulishly. There was a sullen undertone to his refusal.

"Sasuke," Sakura reasoned clearly. "Even if you ignore Itachi-kun, the hurt will never go away! It will still be there unless you do something about it, right? Why don't you hear what he has to say?"

"I have already heard what he has to say!" Sasuke burst out at last, losing his temper. "He just doesn't care at all! I'm not important enough to matter!"

Sakura paused at that and just looked at the frustrated boy.

"Is the Itachi-kun you know really somebody who would think that?" she asked quietly at first, the volume of her voice becoming higher and higher as she grew more passionate about the subject. "Because the Itachi-kun I know is not like that at all! Sasuke, come on, think! He's your brother! You know him best!"

And Sasuke fell silent, his brow knitting, turmoil swirling in his eyes. The adored sibling he knew and the complete stranger he spoke to the last time were not one and the same. He was blinded by jealousy and hurt and anger back then, but now that Sakura was forcing him to clear his thoughts, the boy could not help but admit that there was something off with Itachi – Nii-san was not someone who was deliberately cruel. The brother he knew was the same as the one Sakura had such faith in – he was kind and gentle, and Sasuke knew that his brother had loved him very much.

The boy's eyes watered slightly. He missed his aniki.

Sakura looked hopefully at her friend. "Sasuke?"

There was a long pause, and then Sasuke finally turned his attention back to her. He looked like he had just made up his mind, and was about to open his mouth to speak when something else caught his attention. His eyes widened. He stiffened.

The large shadow was moving towards them at an extremely great velocity, and his pink-haired companion did not notice its dangerous approach as her back was still turned to it. Sasuke could not quite make out the features of attacking entity, but he could see that it was humongous, even larger than the tiger that they had just escaped not too long ago. There was no time to even call out a warning to the still oblivious girl.

Sasuke did the first thing that came instinctively to his mind.

The boy shoved his friend out of the way.

One moment, Sakura was standing in front of Sasuke and looking at him, the next he had checked her bodily without any warning whatsoever, and her breath was knocked right out of her as she was forcefully thrown to the side. Her large eyes revealed her surprise as she stared bewilderedly at the Uchiha, and then they turned wide with horror and belated shock when she saw the huge creature that passed her overhead, so near that she could see the full grotesque detail of its undulating segmented body and numerous long, spindly legs as it blew by her at an astounding speed.

It was an omukade, the gigantic man eating centipede that was supposed to be found only in myths and legends. It was a fiendish creature whose name was often evoked to cow little children into obedience, but now, as Sakura stared at the hideous form in slacked mouth terror, she realized that those stories had done the real thing no justice at all.

Up close, it was a living nightmare come to life.

And Sakura could only watch in suspended fear, her heart in her mouth, as the _thing_ smashed full force into Sasuke.

The impact was powerful enough to bodily lift the dark-haired boy and send him soaring back a hundred feet, and only a timely collision with a tree had stopped his brief flight cold.

The sickening thud as his body slammed hard against the unyielding trunk made Sakura's stomach turn into itself. Then, she had to watch as her friend who had sacrificed himself to get her out of harm's way dropped limply onto the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. He did not move after that.

Sakura yelled.

"Sasuke!"

* * *

Naruto had been trudging through the dense forest for the past twenty minutes or so and already the disgruntled boy was starting to think that he had been trolled by Sakura-chan's living fur wrap of a pet. It was already completely dark out; the sun had set not too long after he had stealthily snuck into the restricted training ground. It was fortunate that the moon tonight hung low and pregnant in Konoha's night skies, for if not he would be bumbling clumsily – even worse than he already was – though the thick undergrowth that kept threatening to scratch and strangle him with thorny vines at every turn.

The young fox boy was convinced that the bossy black weasel that shared Itachi nii-sama's name was playing a trick on him, but even though he believed that, Naruto was reluctant to turn around and leave right away. There was a niggling doubt sitting in the back of the blonde's mind, and if Sakura-chan was really stuck somewhere in here, then he did not want to chance it and leave her all alone in this dangerous place.

Besides, Itachi-chan was acting unusually antsy, and the normally lazy (and increasingly fat) animal was actually scurrying swiftly ahead of him, putting quite a bit of effort into his movements when he was usually more laidback and would rather just hitch a ride from the humans instead.

"Oi, furball! Slow down a bit, will ya?" Naruto demanded of the twitchy creature, looking visibly annoyed and ruffled. "I can't see where you are going!" As it was, Itachi-chan's sleek black fur was blending in almost seamlessly with its surroundings, and even Naruto's above average night vision was having some trouble keeping the small, quick animal continuously in his sight.

It was then, when the two heard the shrill, panicked shout carrying from a distance. Boy and animal stilled immediately, and their heads snapped to the direction the pitched sound of pure distress had come from.

That was Sakura-chan's voice. Naruto was very sure that it was definitely Sakura-chan's voice!

The boy wasted no time turning in the direction he had heard his friend's troubled cry echo from, plunging straight through the thick forest foliage and quickly hauling ass to where he believed her to be, Itachi-chan in tow. The weasel swiftly overtook him and was very soon leading the way once more, and Naruto no longer complained about his difficulties in tracking the smaller animal. In fact, he was following so closely that he was very nearly on top of the black mustelid, and almost trod on its long tail a few times in his haste to reach his friend ASAP.

Naruto's heart was in his throat, pounding so hard that it felt as though it was going to burst right out of him at any minute. He was running like he had never run before – at his fastest speed and more. He had never heard anything as hair raising as Sakura-chan's desperate plea for help earlier – his friend had never made that sort of sound in all the years that he had known her, and Naruto just knew that Sakura-chan had to be in great danger for her to be screaming like that.

When the heavily panting boy broke through the foliage and finally burst into the clearing, the scene he saw before him both stunned and terrified him. Standing at the farthest edge of the clearing was the largest arthropod that he had ever seen, and even though a small part of him was in awe at seeing such an unbelievably huge specimen, the rest of him quickly turned cold with dread when he noticed the significantly smaller figure that was bravely confronting it.

It was impossible not to see Sakura-chan. In the moonlit darkness, the lightness of her pink hair was like a beacon that drew the eye. His best friend looked disheveled and dirt streaked even from afar, nothing like her usual immaculate, well groomed self, but Naruto could see the metallic flash of a kunai gripped firmly in her hand, the firmness of her stance and the fierce determination blazing in her bright green eyes – Sakura-chan was not going to back down.

Naruto did not understand at first; this was not the usual behavior of the Sakura-chan he knew. Why was she purposely picking a fight with the huge centipede? That _thing_ was taller than a house and getting higher by the second as it continued to rear up, balancing on its many hind legs, hissing menacingly as it did so. By rights, Sakura-chan should be beating a fast retreat – there was no way she could win if she took it on with nothing but the throwing blade in her hand – so why…?

Then, the slight stirring of the figure behind her – whom she was protecting – quickly drew his attention. That unknown individual had been well camouflaged by the shadowed darkness of the forest, partly due to the nondescript navy blue of his clothes and his raven black hair. Naruto squinted, and then, his eyes widened in realization when he saw that unruly hair that vaguely resembled a duck's behind.

_Sasuke-teme!_

Everything suddenly made sense. Naruto was moving even as he frantically processed the situation in his mind, and it was a good thing that his frequent pranking episodes had taught him the value of thinking on the fly, for that trait was coming in very handy right now. There was no time to be terrified. The boy stampeded over with a loud yell of his own, his hand simultaneously reaching into the pouch at his side as he readied himself to enter the fray. His fingers quickly found the items that he needed – he had actually been saving them for an elaborate prank but this was clearly more important right now.

"Hey, ya stupid overgrown bug! Get away from there!"

* * *

Sasuke was in a world of pain.

His head was throbbing madly, his ears were ringing hollowly, and his body was hurting so much that he couldn't quite seem to will it to move at all. He felt as if somebody had tried to make minced meat out of him, and for a moment, he was so completely out of it, so disoriented, that he had to struggle to get back his bearings and try to figure out what had happened to land him in such a bad position.

There were a lot of loud, unbearable sounds going around him and he grimaced irritably – the dark-haired boy wanted nothing more than to be left alone and allowed to close his eyes and drift off, but with all the racket happening over his head he could not possibly return to the sweet oblivion of unconsciousness.

For some reason or another, there was a lot of yelling going on, and he wasn't amused when rough hands suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder and started to shake him violently back to full consciousness. All hopes of sleep were immediately dashed. His eyes shot open and he was immediately treated to the rather disagreeable sight of one Uzumaki Naruto. He started to scowl, a sour expression that the blonde was only too happy to reciprocate.

"TEME! THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO HAVE YOUR BEAUTY SLEEP! WE NEED TO MOVE, NOW!" The urgent demand in the loud bellow was further expedited by a hard, helpful cuff to the head by said boy, and suddenly, all of Sasuke's pains from earlier paled in comparison to his blinding need to reach over to throttle the _annoying_ blonde.

He would have gladly sacrificed the last of his strength to the noble cause if not for his attention being diverted by the scene behind Naruto. The sight of the humongous, rearing centipede was enough to sober Sasuke, and eyes widening, the Uchiha quickly remembered the events that had transpired before his involuntary nap. He had pushed Sakura out of the way only to be sent flying by the unreasonably huge creature – just what was wrong with this forest, anyway?

And speaking of which, what had happened to the pink-haired girl after he passed out? He would be very displeased if she had somehow still gotten herself eaten after all the effort he had put into keeping her alive.

"Sakura-" Sasuke croaked out – he seemed to be having some difficulty controlling his voice – but his meaning was clear and Naruto easily understood what he was asking. The fox boy's irritation at the Uchiha subsided a bit and he shifted slightly to the side, revealing the answer to the latter's unasked question. Looking significantly disheveled but relatively unharmed, their pink-haired friend was situated a short distance away, her back turned to them both, and Sasuke did a quick double take when he realized that she was engaging the centipede all on her own.

"What-"

"Hurry," Naruto hissed sharply before he could ask what was going on. "Oi, can you walk, teme? We need to get moving while Sakura-chan is distracting that _thing_."

Sasuke was still too busy gaping at the incredulous sight of the slight nine year old girl bravely standing her ground in front of the monstrous creature, periodically throwing an unidentified item right in the face of the angrily hissing, thrashing creature. Why was she still here? Why were they still here? They should have been gone by now, just like his cousins who hadn't even bothered to come to his rescue in the first place –

But they were here. They were still here.

They hadn't left him behind.

"What's she doing? What's she throwing at it?" he whispered dazedly even as he struggled to help the grunting Naruto by weakly pushing himself up. It seemed that his limbs were not heeding his commands very well at all and he could barely sit up on his own as it was.

"Stink bombs," Naruto replied without a pause. The boy was more preoccupied with trying to get Sasuke back onto his feet as per his promise to Sakura-chan. "I was going to set 'em off in the Academy – they were the really good stuff, too."

It was then that Sasuke's olfactory sense suddenly decided to kick in and he stiffened at the horrendous smell that was assaulting his nose. The scent was so bad that his eyes started to water and even the air tasted noxious on his tongue. It was no wonder that the huge centipede was keeping its distance for now, though it looked dangerously angry at being denied its prey. Sasuke had to fight not to gag at the atrocious atmosphere – what was it with these two and using weapons that attacked the senses of their unwary opponents?

Naruto muttered an expletive then. "Oi, you really can't move your ass at all, can you?"

Sasuke's pale cheeks flushed but he could not deny his current handicap. His limbs felt completely leaden and were as impossible to control as if they were made of jelly. He was just a dead weight and he felt about as useful as a teat on a warthog. Naruto swore again.

If Sasuke could not even move, then their escape plan was a bust. While Naruto was confident that he could travel with the additional weight of the Uchiha boy with little trouble, he was not so sure that he could do it fast enough to keep ahead of that huge ass centipede chasing them the entire way out. That thing was _fast_, and right now, the only thing keeping it at bay was the stink bombs. Perhaps they could try to avoid the creature by taking to the treetops instead, but the young Jinchuuriki did not know if it was determined enough to follow them all the way up as well – that would be both disastrous _and_ deadly.

It was then that the arthropod finally lost its patience with the situation, obviously tired of the morbid game of keep away. It had already acclimated to the overpowering stink wafting over the area, and it wasted no time lunging over, hissing furiously, its deadly pair of bladed mandibles dripping with acidic purple venom as it did so.

"Shit!" Naruto cursed once more and promptly let go of Sasuke, whom he was in the process of helping to his feet. Not surprisingly, the dark-haired boy dropped like a rock, and though immobile, he was quite vocal with his displeasure at such shoddy treatment. But Naruto was already on the move, racing back towards his secret sister like his life depended on it, yelling as he did so.

"Sakura-chan, switch!" The golden-haired nine-year old reached into his pouch and pulled something out of his bag of tricks once more. It was a spool of ninja wire, and even though he was only very recently starting to learn its usage, it was the only item left in his arsenal that might possibly stand a fighting chance against the large centipede. Quickly unrolling the wire, the boy planned his approach in his mind and determinedly rushed the beast that was trying to make supper out of all of them.

To the wide eyes of his friends, it looked as if Naruto was running right into the jaws of death.

"NARUTO!"

The dual tones of Sakura and Sasuke's yells could be heard well above the clamor of the creature's loud hisses and clicks, and Naruto called back, "Don't worry! I have a plan!"

The boy charged low, at the same time swinging the wire over his head like a lasso, a kunai tied to its end acting as a razor-sharp, pendulum weight as he whipped it faster and faster, gaining both speed and momentum as he plunged ahead, leaping at the last second as he loosed the metallic string with a shout and cast his makeshift snare towards the towering centipede. The kunai caught onto one of its wicked looking antennae and proceeded to loop around it several times in quick succession, and then the thin tensile wire that the throwing blade was adjoined to went taut as the connection was made. Naruto mulishly dug in his heels and prepared for the battle of his life.

The dobe's 'plan' was suddenly very clear, and Sasuke groaned. That idiot! He meant to subdue the creature by force!

"Naruto!" Sakura called out anxiously again. The girl looked as if she wanted to jump right in to assist but wasn't quite sure exactly how to go about doing it. For one, she had already run out of the stink bombs her golden-haired friend had hastily passed into her hand when he had abruptly crashed into the clearing, and even though there had been no time to explain the situation (or ask how he had found them), Naruto had still waded right in to assist, hardly even pausing at the nightmarish sight of the gigantic creature that they had no choice but to confront.

"S'alright, guys! I got this-"

"Let go of that wire, dobe!"

Sasuke's order came too late, for the centipede did not take kindly to having its movements impeded (if only very slightly) by the rough equivalent of a human pipsqueak.

The other two children could only watch in horror as the creature shook its head violently, easily lifting a valiantly resisting Naruto from the ground and then sending him flying in the air when it managed to shake him loose. Naruto sailed off into the distance, yelling the entire way, and, like Sasuke had earlier, crashed landed most abruptly against a nearby trunk.

"That moron!" the Uchiha hissed, but there was no time to worry about Naruto. Now free from its mild restraints, the beast immediately turned its attention back to its prey – or more specifically, the weakest, incapacitated member of the group.

Sasuke's eyes widened when the arthropod lunged specifically at him this time – he was literally a sitting duck right now –

His vision of impending death was abruptly blocked when a skinny, red-clad figure planted itself directly in front of him, and Sasuke stiffened.

"What are you-" he started to protest in shock only for her to cut him off.

"Shut up, Sasuke," Sakura iterated firmly. She turned her head slightly so that he could see her profile, but still kept her sight firmly on the fast approaching centipede. "You saved me earlier. Now it's my turn."

Sasuke wanted to open his mouth to speak but she had already turned her back to him. _Watch me_, her body language seemed to say, and really, with his current condition, there was nothing he could do but exactly that.

Sakura put her hands together in a Ram sign, concentrating on her chakra control as she stared at her mark with meditative focus, her green eyes bright with resolve. Her hand was still bleeding sluggishly but the pain helped to cement her sense of purpose even further, and she drew a deep breath to prepare herself. She would only have one shot at this and she had to make it count. By now, most of the heart pounding fear from earlier had faded away to the background, falling by the wayside as desperation and determination took over. Her friends were depending on her to not fail, and she could not let them down now.

Sakura bided her time and waited for the creature to come nearer. It was really terrifying, watching such a huge being barreling full speed towards her, but Sakura forced herself to stand her ground. Timing was extremely crucial at this point, and she could not afford to miss.

_There_!

Her fingers automatically started to mold itself into a series of hand signs in quick succession, the muscle memory earned from _painstaking_, frequent practice kicking in to aid in her endeavor.

_Tiger. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger._

She gathered every available bit of chakra at her disposal to her hara, and then grimly hissed out her attack. "Katon! Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

The converted chakra immediately ignited into a ball of roaring fire the moment she expelled it through her mouth. The blazing fireball that she had used all of her chakra to bring to life was only of a modest size, nothing like the monsters it had the potential to become, but it was just enough to do the job. Even as Sakura dropped to her knees with fatigue, pale faced and panting heavily as she did her best to overcome the lightheaded sensation of borderline chakra exhaustion, there was no hiding the stark relief and hopeful triumph in her eyes as she watched her efforts bear fruit. Thanks to her careful timing, the fiery Goukakyuu slammed face first into the huge centipede, too fast and too near for the creature to dodge it.

The gigantic arthropod's fierce, headlong charge was immediately thwarted, and it screeched in pain and fury as it backed away slightly.

Sasuke's eyes widened. It worked! Maybe another Great Fireball would do the trick-

The boy's hopes were quickly dashed when the beast simply shook off the effects of the Katon jutsu and resumed its single minded attack, smoking slightly and looking mildly charred, but still mostly unharmed by the fireball due to its heavily armored body.

All they had managed to do so far was provoke it, making it angrier than it already was. Hissing and clicking ominously, it surged forward once more, and Sakura gasped. The girl struggled to get back to her feet to defend the oncoming attack, but the Goukakyuu earlier had taken everything out of her, and she felt as if her arms and legs had suddenly turned to jelly.

"Run, Sakura!" Sasuke yelled urgently, trying to will himself to move but to little effect. He was still completely paralyzed from the earlier impact, but more importantly, Sakura was still right in front of him and he could not do anything to pull her out of danger this time. "It's coming-!"

And this time neither of them would be able to halt its headlong charge. They had run out of options. There would be no more intervention.

It was then that a screaming streak of orange raced up the multi-segmented back of the centipede and leapt unceremoniously onto its head.

"GET AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS!"

A completely disheveled, wild eyed Naruto drew his fist back and slammed the kunai that he was gripping in his hand blade first into the eye of the creature. The gigantic arthropod _shrieked_.

Sasuke had never thought that he would experience relief at the sight of the dobe, but that sharp feeling that welled in him could not be mistaken for anything else. Somehow, against all odds, Naruto had not been knocked out by his forceful collision against the tree, and had even gotten back up to fight the centipede once again.

The blonde's endeavor was slightly better than his previous attempt; he managed to sink his kunai hilt-deep into the beast's eye and then he proceeded to hold on for dear life as it thrashed madly and whipped its long body about in pain and fury. Naruto tried his best to hold on, but when it suddenly hit the floor and started to perform a rapid succession of barrel rolls to shake him off, the boy was forcibly dislodged like a stubborn burr, and the powerful torque from the creature's momentum was enough to peel him off and send him soaring once more, and this time, the landing was bad enough that Naruto was momentarily stunned by the impact.

And a moment was all the beast needed to complete its attack. Completely enraged by now, the gigantic centipede surged forth, and this time, there was nothing that could stop it.

Biting her lips hard, Sakura finally managed to stagger to her feet. Wobbling unsteadily, she stared down the fast approaching arthropod – it was already so near that she could see the fine hairs on its grotesque form – it was going to reach them anytime now, and all she could see was death racing towards her. Sakura's bright green eyes hardened with determination.

In the background, she could hear Sasuke and Naruto yelling her name, but she knew what she had to do. No matter what the boys said, it was obvious that they could not take any more hits from the humongous centipede. Ignoring the their frantic cries for her to get away, the pink-haired girl bravely stood her ground and threw her arms wide open – it was her turn to protect them now. The young kunoichi-to-be was white in the face and shaking like a leaf, but she was not going to back down.

Bracing herself for the impending impact, Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the inevitable. She had no more chakra to spare and no more strength to give, and this was the only thing left that she could do to protect her friends. She was scared of what would happen next, but the thought of Naruto and Sasuke being killed right before her eyes terrified her even more than the thought of her own pain, and gathering every ounce of her courage, she forced herself to open her eyes and greet her nightmare head on.

She was immediately petrified with fear. The _thing_ was less than a meter away from her and rapidly closing in, and the dozens of black, beady eyes situated on its head reflected her horror back at her tenfold. It's huge, lethal looking front claws dripped with excess venom, and in her moment of extreme stress and duress, one desperate, last ditch plea for help flashed to the forefront of her mind.

Sakura opened her mouth and screamed it at the top of her lungs.

"ITACHI-KUN!"

The Kawarimi slammed into effect so quickly and precisely that for a moment, none of the children present could understand what had just happened. The force of the near instantaneous transfer was so large that Sakura nearly suffered from whiplash as she was literally teleported out of danger's range and was sent flying backwards from the swiftly executed technique. She would have impacted rather violently with a tree trunk if not for the timely interference of another one of the newcomers.

Help had arrived.

Sasuke stiffened in shock as a familiar shadow fell over him protectively at the exact moment the arthropod surged forth and plunged its toxic-coated mandible right through its target, and a warm spray of fluid coated the boy's stunned features even as he heard the nauseating, hair raising sounds of tearing flesh and breaking bones.

The potent flood of killing intent that had been abruptly unleashed made Sasuke forget how to breathe, and all blood leeched from his face when instinctual tendrils of fear gripped him hard in icy claws and refused to let go. Something very deadly and powerful had just entered the picture, and it made the monster centipede that they were fighting for their very lives pale in comparison. That suffocating, sheer amount of ki was not even aimed at him, and already his heart was stuttering like a dying motor, struggling to keep functioning under all that overwhelming pressure. Sasuke's lips started to turn blue and a ring of darkness started to tinge his watering eyesight – the atmosphere was _completely oppressing_.

The arthropod that had been terrorizing them stood no chance. The immense surge of killing intent concentrated solely on the unintelligent creature exerted so much stress on its being that its heart literally exploded from utter fear. It died immediately.

Just as quickly as it appeared, the heavy air of death disappeared abruptly, and for a long moment, nobody moved.

Her shock quickly wearing off, Sakura started to struggle to be let down by the silver-haired nin who had caught her. This would be the second time that she was saved by her future sensei, but the pink-haired girl had other things to worry about right now. A few paces away from her, a bedraggled looking Naruto, too, gaped in shock, his head spinning at the unexpected turn.

Sakura's huge emerald eyes were fixated on the scene before her, and it was all she could do not to start crying.

For standing in the place where she had been sheer moments ago was Itachi-kun, the youth having appeared as magically as if her cry of distress had summoned him, and if that was really what happened, then Sakura was already regretting her rash impulse to open her mouth and call for him.

He had taken her place, and had paid the price in her stead.

One of the large centipede's bladed, venomous mandible had pierced right through his chest, and even from afar, she could see the blood that glistened darkly against that unmoving, curved claw that protruded from his back. _Itachi-kun's blood._

_He had taken her place._

Tears of panic and fear threatened to roll down her cheeks. "Itachi-kun," she whispered, terrified. "Itachi-kun!"

Sasuke's eyes were huge as he stared up at the hovering form of his brother. Itachi, the sibling whom he had claimed to hate, had _protected_ him. Trembling fingers reached up to touch the drops of wetness that coated his face and they came away viscous and sleek. It was still warm.

_Blood_.

_Nii-san's blood_.

Sasuke's pupils dilated at the traumatizing realization.

"Nii…san," he whimpered helplessly.

There was a sickening, stomach turning sound as Itachi pulled himself free of the dead centipede's mandible. He had taken the hit right in the chest and it had likely punctured a lung, and blood dribbled down his chin as he struggled to regulate his breathing and control his pain. Turning around slowly to face the shell shocked form of his younger brother – little Sasuke, who was always trying so hard to find his own place – he reached out slowly to wipe away the traces of clear, liquid guilt that were leaking from the boy's wide, unblinking eyes.

"Sasuke," Itachi rasped softly, tenderly. "Are you hurt?"

All Sasuke could see at the moment was the huge, gaping wound that sat obscenely on his brother's chest, gained in his defense. Regardless of all the horrible things that he had said, his nii-san had still come for him, and in doing so, had gotten so grievously injured that he didn't quite understand how his Aniki was still standing.

I-If he hadn't been so stupidly prideful, i-if he hadn't thrown his immature, childish temper tantrum, if he hadn't come in here in the first place and hurt his friends and beloved brother and put all of them in danger, then this would not have happened.

Nii-san would not be standing over him right now with a hole in his chest – _oh god_ – there were so much b-blood and, a-and Sasuke had never seen such a serious injury before in his entire life –

Sakura was right; his brother _loved _him, and here was the proof, paid and proven with a very steep price.

How could he be so _stupid_?

Panic, fear and remorse threatened to strangle the boy and his tears flowed even faster. Sasuke did not trust himself to speak. He shook his head quickly in response to Itachi's question, and it nearly killed him inside when he watched his brother's dark eyes lighten with stark relief.

"_I'm glad_."

Then, he collapsed.

Sasuke felt his heart drop to his stomach in that very instance.

"NII-SAN!"

* * *

Miharu burst through the doors of Konoha's General Hospital, her features tense with anxiety and unease.

The golden-haired woman had just gotten home from work when she received the message that her daughter was hurt. Apparently, there had been an accident of sorts and her presence was needed at the hospital. Putting two and two together, the single mother had quickly dropped what she was doing and rushed off immediately to see her injured offspring. Fear and worry had gnawed at her insistently, and her apprehension would not settle until she had personally laid eyes on her child and ascertained for herself that her little one was not in mortal peril.

When she finally hurried into the waiting area of the emergency unit, the sight of a row of quiet, recalcitrant children, plus one weasel, sitting side by side on the bench swiftly calmed her wildly beating heart. It took her less than a second to pick out Sakura and Naruto from the trio, and seeing them relatively safe and sound nearly made her knees go weak with relief.

The kids spotted her immediately as well, and their young faces immediately brightened. They leapt out of their seats and wasted no time making their way towards her even as she hurried to meet them as well.

"Mama!"

"Miharu ba-chan!"

"Oh, thank goodness!" Miharu fell to her knees before the children and swept them both up into a tight hug. Young Naruto stiffened slightly at the physical contact at first but he quickly relented, his hands slowly coming up to tightly grip the woman's shirtfront even as he burrowed deeper into her maternal embrace. A slight sniffle could be heard near her ear and even Sakura was shaking like a leaf in her arms, obviously deeply affected by whatever had happened prior to her arrival. It was a while before Miharu willingly relinquished her hold on the two children, pulling back slightly to better inspect their physical condition for herself.

The duo was completely filthy, their clothes and hair streaked with dirt, smears of what looked suspiciously like blood here and there, and god knew what else. Poor Naruto had an entire roll of bandage wrapped around his forehead and also appeared rather frumpy from an assortment of bruises and shallow abrasions decorating his face and limbs, and Sakura looked equally sorry with no less an amount of discolorations, small cuts and grazes all over her body. One of her hands was also completely swathed in sterile linen, and eyeing the amount of damage that the children had somehow sustained quickly stirred the fierce maternal instincts of the usually gentle and kind Miharu.

Eyes flashing with growing ire, the single parent wasted no time demanding for answers. "What on earth happened to both of you?! Look at you two; you are black and blue everywhere! What happened?!"

The stark reminder of what had occurred earlier made Sakura's eyes water. That was Kakashi's cue to step in, much to his displeasure. If he had known that he would have to perform this sort of damage control, he would have declined Itachi's request for assistance when the youth approached him earlier that day. Nudging a clearly reluctant Sasuke over to join his friends, the silver-haired nin finally spoke.

"Aa, Haruno-san? My name is Hatake Kakashi. I'm a Jounin. I was on hand to witness what happened to Naruto-kun and your daughter earlier. If you'll allow me to explain…?"

"Yes, please do, Hatake-san," Miharu replied sharply. Despite her polite words, it was clearly not a request. The golden-haired female's usually motherly violet eyes were hard and stern with a distinct lack of good humor. Here was an extremely unamused parent who wanted nothing more than to know why her children were in such a terrible state. Kakashi was really regretting getting involved in this entire situation, but he gamely plodded along all the same. After all, it wasn't as if there was anyone else capable of shedding light on what had happened in the Forest of Death; Itachi was still in surgery and the three children who had been involved were all in various stages of shock.

So, it was up to him to take charge and dispense with the necessary explanations.

By the time he was through, Miharu was very displeased by what she had heard. Thankfully, the woman was not someone who would shoot the messenger, and so she turned to the two youngsters under her care and jurisdiction instead. Both Naruto and Sakura withered under her intimidating stare.

"The Forest of Death, children?" she sounded very unhappy, alright. Just imagining the tragedy that could happen was nearly enough to make her hair turn white from the stress. "That place is prohibited for a very good reason! What were you both thinking?! Have you considered what would happen if nobody came to your rescue? If anything happened to you two, what would I do?"

For the two chastised children, there was nothing worse than the feeling of having disappointed the woman standing before them. Naruto and Sakura wilted further, and beside them, even Itachi-chan was cowering in a corner.

"Sorry, Mama," Sakura was the first to speak, her gaze lowered with guilt, looking utterly forlorn and downtrodden. "I went in first; Naruto followed me in when I got into trouble. It's not his fault."

Naruto clearly had something to say about that, judging by the way he was starting to open his mouth to protest. However, before he could say a word, a third voice entered the fray.

"I was the one who went in first. I did it for a stupid dare. I…I didn't know that it would be so dangerous. Sakura and Naruto…they saved me. I would be dead by now if they hadn't come for me." There, a nervous but subdued Uchiha Sasuke bowed deeply to his friend's mother and remained in his obeisance to show his sincerity and remorse. "Please don't blame them, Ma'am. It's my fault."

Naruto and Sakura stared at the humbled Sasuke like he had suddenly grown a second head.

"Who are you and what have you done to the teme?" Naruto blurted out unthinkingly, only to regret it almost immediately when Miharu ba-chan frowned at him for his potty mouth. Not wanting to incite even more displeasure from the already irritated mama, the fox child wisely kept his mouth shut and his head low – Miharu ba-chan was _scary_ when she was angry.

Thankfully, the woman seemed more focused on the other boy who had proclaimed himself to be the one to have gotten all of them into this mess, and she was studying Sasuke with stern eyes. Sasuke, to his credit, did not flinch under the weight of her stare, and Miharu could sense the young Uchiha's firm resolve to take responsibility for his own actions.

"…You are the one who really likes okaka rice balls, aren't you?" There was precious little in her daughter's life that Miharu did not know about, so of course it made sense that she was well aware of the previously antagonistic friendship between this boy and her child.

Sasuke stiffened slightly, unsure how to respond to the woman's unorthodox query. Naruto came to his rescue, albeit unwittingly. The golden-haired youngster snorted under his breath, dispersing the tension in the air. "Okaka boy," Naruto quietly sneaked out the new moniker while pretending to clear his throat, and suddenly Sasuke's pale cheeks were suffused with color – the bright red of embarrassment and immense agitation, to be precise.

Sakura reached over and pinched Naruto's side in reprimand, eliciting a pained yelp from the boy.

"I am," Sasuke replied at last, his ears burning with mortification. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke, Ma'am."

Miharu eyed the three children before her. They all looked quite battered and exhausted from their ordeal, but despite their generally bedraggled and scruffy appearances, they only suffered minor surface injuries that were already seen to and treated by the medical personnel. However, the trauma from the evening would not be as easy to quell, and she could clearly see the shadows lurking in their eyes. Miharu's maternal instincts urged her to quickly usher her charges back home where they could be safe and have their needs tended to; now was really not the time to berate them for their folly – besides, judging by the somber air, they seemed to have already realized their mistake.

There would be ample time to reprimand them later.

"Straighten up, Sasuke-san," Miharu spoke at last, much to the young Uchiha's relief. However, it came too fast, for the blonde continued crisply. "I'm still quite displeased with you for leading Sakura and Naruto into danger like that, but I imagine that your parents will have plenty to say about that as well, so I will leave them to it." Judging by Sasuke's cringe, Miharu knew that she was right on the mark.

"I will also not lodge a formal complaint to your clan regarding this incident-" Sasuke went dead pale at that – he had forgotten about that part of Konoha's clan law – he would be in so much trouble (even more than he already was) if this entire series of events was brought to the attention of the clan elders. "-but you will have to come over to my house one day soon and offer up a formal apology, is that clear?"

Sasuke quickly nodded in agreement. "Yes, Ma'am."

Miharu leveled a strict stare at the properly chastised young boy. "My name is Haruno Miharu. You may address me as Miharu-san."

"Yes, Miharu-san." Sasuke was so uncharacteristically meek and obliging that the other two children could not help but stare at him out of the corner of their eyes.

Miharu was satisfied by how well-mannered the boy was; she could not imagine that this child was the same angry, arrogant child that Naru-kun often described – in much less polite terms, though, much to her chagrin. The pretty blonde nodded, and then unexpectedly reached out to drop a steadying, comforting hand on the young Uchiha's shoulder, much to the latter's surprise.

"Your older brother is strong, Sasuke-san. Don't worry; he will definitely pull through." Sasuke stared at her with wide eyes. Despite the elder Haruno's earlier displeasure towards him, her words were genuine and compassionate, and her kindness made the boy's nose tingle and his eyes prickle with the strongest urge to cry. He thought that he had been doing a good job hiding the desperate fear and restless anxiety roiling inside him since Nii-san had been rushed into the operating theatre, but somehow this woman with her astute violet eyes had seen through him completely.

Now Sasuke knew where Sakura had gotten it from.

The raven-haired child nodded once more and then discreetly turned his head to the side to wipe at his wet eyes with his sleeve. With another firm, reassuring pat, the Haruno matriarch let go of the boy and turned to Naruto and Sakura next.

"Come on, children; let's go back now. Naru-kun, you will stay with us tonight."

Immediately, the duo in question erupted in a flurry of protests.

"But Mama, Itachi-kun is still-"

"Miharu ba-chan, Itachi nii-sama is-"

Miharu would not stand for it though.

"Oh? And what can the two of you do for Itachi-kun by staying here?" the blonde reasoned sensibly. "And look at all of you! You are absolutely filthy, and don't think I haven't seen you lot masking yawns behind your hands. No more excuses; it's getting late! Come on, we will go back and get you guys clean and rested first, and bright and early tomorrow morning you can come back and see how Itachi-kun is doing."

The Haruno female wasn't really giving the kids a choice, and Kakashi was impressed by her no nonsense demeanor as she started to herd the children off. The efficient single parent turned to give him a gimlet stare that quickly made the accomplished ANBU captain feel a bit like a five year old who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"You will see Sasuke-san safely home, Hatake-san?"

The silver-haired nin nodded politely. "Of course, Haruno-san."

That satisfied Miharu, and after a quick pause to allow the children to say their goodbyes, she promptly swept off with Sakura and Naruto in tow, leaving a stunned Sasuke and, to a lesser extent, Kakashi as well.

"Miharu-san is…"

"Yes, some women are like that," Kakashi replied, not letting the young Uchiha finish his comment. "You will do well to remember not to get on their bad side."

Speaking of which…

The Hatake gestured for his charge to move on ahead of him.

"Come on, kid; you heard the marching orders. I need to get you back to your clan. I'll also need to speak to your parents."

Sasuke flinched at that, and at the moment, both looked equally reluctant to approach the Uchiha compound, even if for entirely different reasons. Kakashi had always had bad blood with that clan, and as for Sasuke, he was going to have to face the music for his actions when he got home. Also, most importantly, the boy was highly unwilling to leave his Aniki alone in the hospital, even though there was really nothing he could do to help in any way.

"Can we stay for a little longer?" Sasuke requested quietly at last, his anxious, guilt ridden gaze turned towards the firmly shut doors of the operating theatre that they had been waiting outside all the while.

Kakashi regarded the boy silently. At last, he nodded.

"…Very well then. Just for a little bit longer."

* * *

The injury dealt to Itachi in the defense of his younger brother, while not immediately fatal, had still been extremely life threatening. The young ANBU Captain had been brought in with a grossly punctured lung and several broken ribs, and aside from the extensive physical damage, the venom from the giant centipede's front claw had also attacked his system indiscriminately, nearly causing multiple organ failure, severe blood poisoning and anaphylaxis.

It was a good thing that the omukade was a native species of Konoha and therefore the hospital naturally had the appropriate anti venom in stock, the precious antidote procured from the secretive Aburame clan and their unique affinity with arthropods. Still, Itachi's action was not without lasting consequences, and his commanding officer, the ANBU Shousui, was quite angry when he learned what his apprentice had sacrificed on this foolish jaunt.

"Shousui-sama-" the fourteen year old Uchiha heir greeted raspingly the moment the Akikaze strode into his ward a mere day after he had been brought out of surgery. He had only awoken mere hours ago, and despite still being groggy and drugged up, etiquette and ANBU protocol demanded that he afford his superior the proper amount of respect that he deserved.

Kokkai waved Itachi's feeble attempt back down.

"At ease, Captain," the old man barked as he came to a stop at the foot of his protégé's hospital bed, his piercing green eyes studying the pale, wan features of the young teen. The boy's chest was swathed tightly in sterile bandages, and an assortment of medical equipment surrounded him, all either monitoring his vitals or supplying some form of treatment to his injured body.

"Hatake reported your actions to me," Akikaze's tone was razor sharp with censure as he stared hard at his apprentice, going straight to the point as usual. To his credit, the boy did not flinch from his Shousui's biting tone.

"My younger brother was in danger. I made the right call, Shousui-sama," he responded slowly.

That was not what Kokkai wanted to hear. "Do you think that I'm an idiot, boy?" the ANBU Commander snapped harshly. "If my goddamn elites cannot even take on a measly insect without landing themselves in the intensive care unit, then it means either I'm doing something wrong or Konoha has become so ludicrously weak that we cannot even handle our own bloody forest critters. What the _hell_ were you thinking, Uchiha? Were you trying to kill yourself?"

It was a legitimate concern, for out of all the other things that the teen could have easily done to take out the giant centipede, he had deliberately chosen the one that caused him the largest amount of trauma. Since this was not the first time such an issue cropped up – it happened more often than necessary, Kokkai grimly noted – the Akikaze had every right to question his subordinate's state of mind.

The true nature of his superior's displeasure quickly occurred to Itachi. "I'm not suicidal, Shousui-sama," he answered, quietly emphasizing as he continued. "_My younger brother was in danger_. _Necessity prompted my actions_."

"Explain," the elder ordered, his tone clipped. Itachi could not disobey the direct command.

"The toxic ideals of our clan are starting to poison Sasuke's mind and influence his actions," Itachi whispered hoarsely, his eyes dulling slightly as he spoke. "He needed to see that there's more beyond the lofty ambitions of our clan elders and the muted disdain for the village. It's important that he be taught the truth now rather than later, when the clan's rigid doctrines become fully ingrained in him and become impossible to stamp out."

And then the whole story came spilling out, the facts of the situation laid out like a verbal mission report, outlined by the objectives that needed to be fulfilled and the means that had to be achieved in order for that to happen.

Kokkai closed his eyes and listened to the boy's desperate attempt to free his younger sibling from the messy entanglements of their family's longstanding discontent and dissatisfaction with their village. Then, the Akikaze wondered just where they had gone so wrong as leaders and teachers, ignoring what was plainly visible and pretending not to see the obvious for so long, that the divide between a clan and its village had become so huge and difficult to breach that his young apprentice had to go to such extremes just to teach his brother that it wasn't wrong to love both – that they should be one and the same.

The Uchiha heir had gone so far as to deliberately set his own brother up for this brutal learning experience, manipulating the younger child's perception and the events and people around him so as to force that realization out of Sasuke.

Still, Itachi's unexpectedly ruthless method would probably be effective as far as his younger brother was concerned. There was no memory more lasting to the human mind than one borne from acute emotional trauma – in one fell swoop, Itachi had ensured that Sasuke would remember this event – as well as all the feelings connected to it – for as long as he lived.

"Is that wise?" the ANBU Commander questioned bluntly at the end of Itachi's recount. "There is always the possibility that your brother will one day realize the truth of your manipulation of him."

Itachi flinched imperceptibly at that. But his eyes were steady and resolute. There were no regrets. "I did what I had to do. Sasuke has every right to draw his own conclusion. It's fine if he resents me for my actions, but he will have forged his bonds to the village by then – _even if he hates me, my brother will be loyal to Konoha."_

Because Itachi was loyal to Konoha, and as much as he loved his village, he also loved his brother.

This was the only way to protect Sasuke.

Akikaze said nothing for the longest time, just eyed his apprentice with meditative silence.

"I thought I already told you to drop the needless heroics and that useless self-sacrificing spirit of yours, boy," the Shousui said at last, his tone dark with displeasure. "You cannot afford that sort of luxury in the position that I'm grooming you for. In a game of Shogi, you _are_ King; you _must_ be the last to fall – no matter how difficult it is to watch the others do so in your stead. A King that falls first immediately dooms his men and his country to the same fate, so if you still plan to be my successor, then do us all a favor and kill that heart of yours _right now_. This is my last warning to you, Itachi – ANBU cannot be run by a leader who is unable to separate his feelings from his duties."

The fourteen year old teenager stared at the stern, unforgiving visage of his mentor, and then he nodded once. Sharply.

"I understand, Shousui-sama," the raven-haired Uchiha acquiesced after a pause. Kokkai's blazing emerald eyes narrowed under his thick, bushy brows.

"I mean it, Itachi. No more personal agendas. You are an asset of Konoha – an investment. You were specifically chosen – _trained_ – to be her sword and shield. You are only allowed to incur damage in the defense or at the discretion of your village, not deliberately put yourself in danger for whatever reason not related to Konoha's cause. I have already told you – once you accept the training to be the next Shousui, you only live and die for your village and country – no exception."

There was a long pause before the Shousui continued harshly. "Yakushi Yoroi has informed me that you will never recover completely from this injury. Your lungs have always been naturally weak, and this time, you have accumulated too much damage in that particular area. The scarring left over from the Kusanagi no Tsurugi two years ago, combined with this newest injury, has effectively reduced your lung capacity by twenty-five percent. Your stamina and physical abilities will be adversely affected, and you will likely have to be medicated for your condition for the rest of your life."

The boy, though starkly pale from the news, was completely blank-faced and gave no other sign that he was affected by what Kokkai had just told him. The old man was not done yet, though.

"I can only imagine what your clan elders will do if they get ahold of this information."

Itachi's head shot up and he stiffened, his earlier shock bleeding away quickly to be replaced by defensive determination. "There is no reason to alarm my clan, Shousui-sama," his voice was sharp and unhesitating. "I can still carry out my duties effectively, with or without this handicap."

The reddish grey-haired senior eyed his protégé coolly. They both knew what would happen if the current heir was declared unfit to succeed the Uchiha House. The next in line would be forced to take over, and all of Itachi's efforts would be for nothing if Sasuke was brought under the direct guidance of the Uchiha elders.

"That still remains to be seen," Kokkai snapped, and the younger ANBU flinched. "Don't get cocky, boy; you may be good, but you are still nowhere near good enough to be considered indispensible yet. You can still be easily replaced just like anyone else in the ninja force, do you understand?"

The boy nodded slowly, effectively silenced by his superior's blunt summary of his situation.

"Good, think about that for once," the Shousui ordered. "As for your condition, I have claimed confidentiality; your medical files will be sealed away and kept out of the public eye – this includes your family – for as long as you belong to ANBU."

"Thank you, Shousui-sama," Itachi politely, gratefully, iterated.

Kokkai scowled. "I don't want nor need your useless thanks, boy. It is my duty to protect the interests of my subordinates. I will be happy if those same subordinates can be considerate enough not to cause me any more headaches than I already have, thank you very much."

Properly chastised, the raven-haired boy bowed his head. At that moment, bedridden and wounded, he looked every bit his age, unbearably young and nothing like the fearsome ANBU Captain that he truly was. Kokkai remained unmoved, though.

"This is the _last_ _time_, Itachi," he spoke curtly. Warningly.

"I'm sorry, Shousui-sama," the teenager apologized, quietly and sincerely.

The Commander snorted rudely. "Sorry for your actions, or just sorry that you inconvenienced me? Even after knowing everything that would happen, if faced with the same choices now, you would still do it all over again, isn't that right?"

The Uchiha heir's silence said it all.

"…it won't happen again, Shousui-sama," the raven-haired male promised at last. There would be no need, after all. Itachi knew Sasuke like the back of his own hand; after this event, his relationship with his younger brother would never go back to the way it used to be ever again.

Kokkai growled.

"Good. Because, Itachi? The next time you decide to dick around with your health or personal wellbeing again, _I will drop your apprenticeship with immediate effect and show you out of ANBU myself_. I'm old and tired; I do not have the time or the will to groom another Shousui candidate who won't live long enough to succeed me."

* * *

As Kokkai stalked out of his protégé's private ward, he stretched his arm out and quickly snagged hold of the small, quiet shadow that had been lurking outside the door. The young boy that the Shousui had picked up by the collar was surprisingly quiet and made no fuss as he was swiftly carried off to a more quiet area. Unlike Itachi, who had been too drugged up and distracted by his conversation with his superior to notice the presence of a young interloper outside his ward, the ANBU Commander had immediately sensed the child when the latter stopped outside the room, and the boy's chakra signature felt familiar enough to that of the Uchiha heir that Kokkai had just left the kid be.

Now though, he had to deal with the little eavesdropper and make sure to impress upon him the importance of keeping his mouth shut.

The boy was shaking slightly when Kokkai finally let him loose in a small, private meeting room. Judging by the obvious familial resemblance (as well as the Uchiha clan logo embossed on his shirt), this was obviously the child that Itachi had sacrificed himself to protect.

"Are you Uchiha Sasuke, boy?" the gruff Akikaze demanded.

The messy-haired nine year old nodded, still looking very withdrawn and quiet. His wide, dark eyes were slightly red rimmed around the edges, and he looked visibly distraught.

"How much did you overhear?"

The boy just shook his head, and instead blurted out his own question. "Nii-san…Is Nii-san going to be alright?"

Kokkai side-eyed the boy.

"Your brother is in no danger."

Sasuke was unconvinced.

"But I heard you say that his lungs are damaged!" he sounded completely frantic and fearful.

"Yes, they are damaged," the grizzled old man agreed flatly. "But he won't die immediately from it, at least not with proper medication and care. He will no longer be able to fight as long or as well as he used to, though."

The young Uchiha quickly took exception to that, his eyes flaring with fury at the perceived slight against his beloved brother. "S-shut up! Nii-san is strong! He won't die! Don't say such things!"

The boy was clearly upset, but the leader of the ANBU forces was not about to take such cheek from the little brat. Scowling, the Akikaze retorted sharply. "Of course your brother is strong, but he would have had the potential to become even stronger if he didn't have to step in and save your sorry hide, isn't that right, kid?"

Sasuke's anger quickly died and all color immediately drained from his face. His eyes started to water, his hands clenched into tight fists that drew blood as his fingernails dug deeply into his palms.

It was all his fault. Because of him, his older brother was so badly wounded that his injury would never heal properly – his health and ninja career would be adversely affected from hereon. Sasuke had been so cautiously hopeful and looking forward to see his Aniki when he had set off from home earlier, but now, he was filled with so much crippling guilt and anguish that he didn't think that he would ever recover from it. He had hurt his brother out of ignorance and stupid, childish anger, but his Nii-san did not even blame him for it, not even now. He had heard this old man harshly berating his brother when he was standing outside the ward, fiercely scolding him for committing an error in judgment that could very well cost him his position in ANBU, and all Itachi could do was _apologize_ for saving him – for saving his useless and weak little brother who could do nothing but make trouble for his Nii-san.

_It was all his fault. _

Sasuke felt so wounded and raw from his realization that all he wanted to do was to sit there on the cold hard floor and howl his grief like a wild animal. He had intended to apologize to his brother earlier, but now, the boy knew that _he had no right_. How dare he just brazenly apologize when he did not deserve forgiveness? He did not deserve it at all, just like he did not deserve his brother. _He was unworthy. _His Nii-san, his kind and gentle Nii-san, had only made the mistake of loving him but Sasuke had been ungrateful and this was the result.

_I'm the worst._

He was going to have to bear this guilt for the rest of his life.

Tears welled up in Sasuke's eyes, and then rolled down his cheeks in unending flow of liquid silver shine. His shoulders shook violently with the force of his emotional agony and the low, keening sounds that came out of his mouth resembled that of a beaten dog's. At that moment, he didn't even possess enough pride in him to _care_ about his complete loss of composure in front of a stranger – all he knew was disappointment so _sharp_ _that_ _cut so deep_, disappointment in himself, disappointment that he succeeded in hurting his brother like he had so desperately wanted to, _remorse_, _regret_.

_How was he ever going to face his Nii-san now?_

Akikaze Kokkai watched as the boy broke down there and then and just _wailed_ his heart out. It was not a pretty sight; snot and tears everywhere, but his anguish and shame were completely real. Since the aged ANBU Shousui was neither a fan nor enabler of dramatics, he just stood aside and waited for the upset child to stop…leaking. It took a while before the waterworks started to show signs of subsiding, and to discourage the Uchiha youngling from starting up all over again, the crotchety old man wasted no time shoving a handkerchief at the nine year old.

"Here. Take it."

Sasuke had no choice but to accept the piece of linen pushed unceremoniously at his face, and sniffling awkwardly, he sloppily tried to mop away the traces of his dishonor.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" The boy froze, but Kokkai calmly continued, watching the shaking child the entire while. "It feels very painful, right?"

A small, broken sound escaped Sasuke, and that was his confirmation.

"_Good._"

Kokkai's piercing green eyes sharpened, and then he imparted a piece of sound advice to the young Uchiha.

"_Never forget_."

* * *

_::tsuzuku::_

* * *

**Questions That I Would Like To Answer Before You Ask:**

Uhm. Yes. So as promised, this is the last chapter of the Sasuke-centric arc. There will be a short timeskip after this, and if all goes well, we will be catching up to the start of the canon series very soon. Isn't that great? I'm frankly amazed that it took less than twenty chapters to get here. I'm kinda proud of myself; there were times where I didn't even think I'd actually get to this point, mostly due to the fact that I procrastinate so much and am writing for a few other OTPs on the side as well, ahaha.

Sorry for the late update; Naruto (the series) hasn't been very inspiring for me lately and I'm finding it quite difficult to keep up with the latest chapters. (Kishitmoron, what you doing?)

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So, CP!Sasuke has an inferiority complex. It is very well hidden behind his layers of clan pride and grumpy arrogance, but it is there. He has his own cross to bear as the second son of the clan head, forever doomed to being compared to his genius older brother and always falling short. Note that in canon-verse, prior to the Uchiha massacre, a great amount of Sasuke's time and effort was spent trying to earn his father's acknowledgement and regard, struggling to get out from under his brother's immense shadow of achievements, and I feel that if the Uchiha coup d'état had not occurred, then Sasuke could have likely ended up inadvertently resenting either Itachi or his clan.

…I do suspect that canon!Sasuke has an inferiority complex also – it seems like he constantly has something to prove – so I'm trying to conform to that impression that I have of his character in CP as well.

Long story short, in this current arc, Sasuke lashing out at Naruto, Sakura and Itachi wasn't just due to his jealousy over the fact that his brother appeared to favor the other two children over him, it was also over the fact that he didn't think that Sakura and Naruto actually wanted him around when there was someone better, i.e. Itachi.

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To be honest, the entire Team 7 is broken in their own ways. Sasuke with his clan pressures, Sakura the weak civilian child from a single parent family, and Naruto the despised orphaned Jinchuuriki. I'm really keen on the idea of them depending on and gaining strength from each other, eventually adopting an 'us-against-the-world' attitude; I'm trying my best to work out a realistic way for them to reach that sort of bond, hence this brief detour from the ItaSaku-ness.

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I'm also aware that some of the readers really don't like Sasuke (I'm none too fond of canon!Sasuke myself right now, to be honest) and are complaining over why it's necessary to focus on him for the last few chapters, but it is a fact that Sasuke is very important to both Itachi and Sakura. Like it or not, he is a major concern in both of their lives, and so I found it particularly important to settle this issue before the timeskip.

Anyway, I hope some of you will grow to like CP!Sasuke eventually. He's not a bad kid, really. He's just very young and also a bit self-absorbed, but he's…learning. Besides, I have future plans for him, so it's necessary to build up his character. Do bear with it for now!

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I'm not sure if any one of you have realized it, but there's a somewhat symmetrical symbolism to this entire series of events (or at least I tried and probably botched it up); Naruto showing Itachi the Will of Fire and Itachi promising to stand by Naruto in the future, Sasuke forcing Sakura to become even stronger with his ultimatum and Sakura helping Sasuke to 'see the light' – Sasuke who is Itachi's younger brother, and Naruto who sees Sakura as a beloved sister. I don't know if I was overthinking this or what, but there is an inadvertent ItaSaku link here – they are both helping and being helped by the important figures in each other's lives, and even without the blatant ItaSaku interactions, there is still that inevitable connection – see how it works out?

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I hope the fight scene made sense. I originally intended to complete the entire Forest of Death scene in the last chapter, but it got too long and I had no choice but to split it. Still, I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, overall. I think it shows the potential of future!Team 7, but hopefully I didn't overdo it and superpower-ed the characters too much.

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I feel extremely shameless for saying this, but I really do like Haruno Miharu as a character. She's a stabilizing presence in the lives of both Naruto and Sakura, and now, that will extend to Sasuke by default as well. If anything, I'm sure that she will put the fear of god (and women) into all of our favorite boys.

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There's no other way to say this.

Itachi had basically set Sasuke up for a good hard mindfuck. The entire series of events; the deliberate isolation of Sasuke from himself as well as Naruto and Sakura, causing the emotional betrayal and trauma to bring down Sasuke's guard, in turn to make him susceptible to the inevitable advances of the opportunistic Uchiha children of the clan elders, were all orchestrated for one purpose and only one purpose in mind – to force Sasuke to see that the clan was not perfect, that he should always think for himself and not follow after the clan's teaching's like a blind sheep.

It's a very cold and cruel thing to do, but hey, it worked. For people like Sasuke, nothing gets through to them faster than trauma, and in one fell swoop Itachi had ensured that his younger brother would never forget this hard lesson.

This experience will also ensure that the brothers' relationship will shift from hereon. Sasuke's eyes have been opened, and nothing will ever be the same again.

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CP is primarily an ItaSaku romance fic, but I think it's important to remember that despite being a pacifist, Itachi's character has always been brutally Machiavellian in its nature _– the ends justifies the means_ – and that part of him will be especially highlighted in CP as he grows into a position of power as ANBU elite, future Shousui and Uchiha clan head. There's no way around this, I'm afraid. The highly manipulative nature of both clan and village politics will force him to adapt and change in order to continue to fulfill his duties to both Konoha and Uchiha to the best of his abilities.

Itachi has always been an antihero character to me; I hope to be able to embody this aspect of him in CP.

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Canon!Itachi was believed to have suffered from a debilitating illness that was slowly killing him (or at least that's what the Narutopedia says) before Sasuke came along and finished the job. In CP-verse, Itachi has always had weak lungs – his physical stamina was average but his astounding fighting abilities and tactics made up for that. However, the chest injury received from Orochimaru a few years back and now the omukade would effectively weaken him even further – this is the price he will have to pay in exchange to teach Sasuke this lesson.

…And yes, I have already been planning for this since chapter 6, ahahaha. Sorry, you guys, there will be no godlike Itachi in this fic!

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Also, as this is a very long chapter (just like the last few ones), I apologize on behalf of my beta and I if we missed out anything. It's really a pain in the backside to edit such lengthy works, so I seek your understanding in this matter. Feel free to let me know if you spot any grammatical or spelling errors, and I'll try to correct it ASAP.

The word length from next chapter on will likely be 10k and below (I hope), so they will be less taxing to edit.

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I think that about covers it for the Q&A. Feel free to put your queries in review or PM if I have missed anything!

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Oh, and before I forget (I'm always forgetting this part when I write my A/N, sorry!), uh, a bit of shameless plugging here: some of the wonderful readers have kindly contributed very cute and lovely ItaSaku fanarts for several of my fanfics – I'm always very appreciative and happy when fellow fans share their ItaSaku love with me (even though sometimes I'm really bad at showing it since I'm something of an awkward penguin in real life, ahaha). Anyway, I have already linked up most of them on my profile page; do feel free to take a look, and if you like the art, please be kind enough to leave a nice comment or message for the respective artist, thanks!

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Last but not least, thanks for reading!

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Your reviews fuel my passion for writing. So please leave a comment if you like this fic!

-paws


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